Ever After You
by FuriousRose920
Summary: *COMPLETE* Literati. Future Fic. It's been years since Rory let herself think of Jess, but all it took was the sound of his voice to take her back to where it all started. Now back in Stars Hollow, will this be a second chance at love or just another heartbreak?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **This is my first attempt at writing any real fanfiction. I've been cleaning out my DVR and watching season 2 and 3 of Gilmore Girls made me incredibly nostalgic for Jess/Rory goodness. The title "Ever After You" comes from a Gabe Dixon Band song of the same name. Beautiful song. The lyrics bleed Literati. If you enjoy the story, please rate and review. If you don't like the story, please still rate and review. It will let me know if I should continue the story or not. Thanks for reading! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I - unfortunately - do not own Gilmore Girls or any of it's characters. This story is for pure entertainment purposes. Besides, if you sue me, it's not like I have much to give anyway :)

**Ever After You  
**_by FuriousRose920_**  
**

**Chapter One**

**

* * *

**

She wasn't exactly sure how it happened.

Sitting on the cool wooden floor of her New York City apartment, Rory Gilmore unceremoniously made a decision that would take her off the path she had set for herself since before starting Chilton at the age of 15. Perhaps it was the fact that the lease on her tiny studio residence was up soon. Maybe it was that she'd just wrapped up the intense Masters of Journalism program at Columbia University and that the term "burned out" was more than applicable. It could have been that she missed her mother and the hoi polloi of Stars Hollow. Yeah, maybe that was it.

The hardwood floors of her historic building were worn with age and felt smooth against her bare legs. It was the perfect spring afternoon in New England and the curtains on her open window fluttered softly in the breeze. Sandwiched between the Upper West side and Harlem, the Morningside Heights neighborhood had been kind to her over her tenure. Living just off Riverside Drive put her in walking distance of not only her studies at Columbia, but also Riverside Park, the Husdon River, several train stations, and more eateries and coffee shops (thank God) than she could shake a stick at – if she was into that sort of thing.

Rory mindlessly sipped her still-steaming coffee from the nearby Atropolis Café out of a paper to-go cup. The coffee was some of the best she'd ever had. It left a bitter but delectable taste on her tongue and the earthy aromas reminded her of the early (and some not so early) mornings she'd spent with her mother at Luke's Diner in Stars Hollow, devouring cup after cup of the dark nectar. Maybe it was the combination of the perfect New York day, the sounds of children playing at the nearby park, and hot cup of joe in her hand but Rory Gilmore was more homesick than she'd ever been.

Perhaps that was how she found herself sprawled out on her living room floor with photos of her not-so-recent past splayed out in front of her. She smiled warmly at the candid shot of a young Lane and Rory playing dress up with Lorelei's clothes. Also warmly at the myriad of 3x5's of her mother, Luke, Miss Patty, Babette, and even Kirk. She even smiled at the old photos of a teenage Rory and Dean looking blissful in their naiveté and early-20s photos of her with Logan.

Now in her mid-20s, Rory had made peace with both of those former flames. Dean had ended up attending college in Denver, where he had met and married the love of his life, Jenna. They were expecting their first child in the fall.

Logan and Rory had met up a year after their split. Rory was fresh off the campaign trail, temporarily living at home and applying to Grad schools. Logan was in Hartford, visiting his family. They'd met for coffee and buried the proverbial hatchet. A year had given Logan ample time to understand Rory's decision not to marry him. Sometimes, loving someone just wasn't enough. They'd remained friends since then, calling periodically to check in on how life was treating the other, if they were dating, and how work and school were coming along. Logan had dated casually for awhile but had just recently started seeing someone seriously. Rory was happy for him.

Though Rory had dated since Logan, none had been exactly what she was looking for. Every relationship felt like it was missing something important, even though sometimes she couldn't put her finger on what. There had been Jeremy, the political science junkie she'd met while covering the campaign. Jeremy had been incredibly intelligent, incredibly handsome, and (unfortunately) incredibly boring.

Then there was Drew, whom she'd met one afternoon at a local coffee shop. When she'd noticed him, he'd been sketching furiously in a leather-bound notebook. When he'd looked up at her, she couldn't help but be drawn in by his familiar lost-puppy-dog eyes. They'd had a brief and inspiring romance but, as it turned out, he was having brief and inspiring romances with other women he'd picked up around town. A shame, since his fire had been absolutely intoxicating.

Her most recent relationship had been with one of her classmates, Michael. Michael had been everything she was looking for in a man, or so she thought. He was intelligent, witty, handsome, loyal, and – above all – head over heels for Rory. They'd been together for almost a year when Michael began hinting at marriage. Surprising even herself, Rory unceremoniously broken things off with Michael. She couldn't explain it, but she knew something was missing.

She sighed as she closed the photo album, hugging it to her chest tightly. As she cradled the photo book, resting her chin on the worn spine, she heard a picture flutter free of its confines. This photo was unique to the others. While the entire album consisted solely of traditional 4x6s and 3x5s, the photo that had landed face down at her feet was an old-school Polaroid.

As she delicately lifted the photo off the floor and held it between her suddenly-shaking fingers, she knew without looking what – or more accurately _who_ – would be staring out at her from the other side of the film. She knew this because this photo represented the last vestige of her short and tumultuous relationship with Jess Mariano. She knew this because it was the only Polaroid she'd ever kept. She knew this because instead of throwing the photo away, she'd painstakingly hidden it where the binding and the cover of the album had become separated over the years. Turning the book on its side had allowed the photo, buried both in her thoughts and within the album itself, to escape.

Taking a breath, she flipped the memento over and took in the image. Suddenly she was seventeen all over again. It was a good thing she was already sitting down because her knees suddenly felt like Jell-O. The photo had been taken by her still-best-friend Lane, when she'd gone though her brief photography phase in high school. She'd found the Polaroid camera at a local thrift store and documented just about everything for about a month before her mother found the contraband camera and removed it from the Kim household. This picture had been taken at dusk during the Stars Hollow Autumn Festival. The shot – a candid snapped by one Lane Kim in full Korean stealth mode– depicted a smiling Rory, off on one of her patented Gilmore rants, arm interlocked with Jess, who was looking at her with that smirk designated only for Rory. His hair was as unruly as ever and his dark eyes were locked on Rory like he was drinking in every drop of her.

Gingerly setting down both the photo album and the Polaroid, she reached for her cell phone which was perched on the compact Ikea end table beside her well-worn futon. She still wasn't sure of what she was doing as she pressed the first number on her speed dial. The call connected almost instantly and the familiar ring-back tone of her mother's cell phone seemed boisterously loud in the quiet peace of her apartment. Rory found herself humming along to The Bangles "Walk Like an Egyptian" as she waited for her mother to pick up.

"Salutations," said a distinctly familiar and sarcastic voice from the other end of the line. "I regret to inform you that Lorelei's phone privileges have hereby been revoked due to violation of Section 1 Rule 1 of Luke's Diner – heretofore known as the 'No Cell Phone Rule.' Would you like to leave a message for the accused? Mocking is expressly encouraged."

"Jess?" A dumbfounded Rory breathed into the receiver. She couldn't remember the last time she'd heard him say that much at once.

"Rory? Yeah…Uh… Hi."

Yep. That was more like it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **This is my first attempt at writing any real fan fiction. I've been cleaning out my DVR and watching season 2 and 3 of Gilmore Girls made me incredibly nostalgic for Jess/Rory goodness. The title "Ever After You" comes from a Gabe Dixon Band song of the same name. Beautiful song. The lyrics bleed Literati. If you enjoy the story, please rate and review. If you don't like the story, please still rate and review. It will let me know if I should continue the story or not. Thanks for reading! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I - unfortunately - do not own Gilmore Girls or any of it's characters. This story is for pure entertainment purposes. Besides, if you sue me, it's not like I have much to give anyway :)

**Ever After You  
**_by FuriousRose920_**  
**

**Chapter Two

* * *

**

After a moment of stunned silence, Rory could hear rustling on the other end of the line. She heard faint but urgent whispering through what she assumed was the receiver being pressed firmly into someone's clothing to muffle the sound.

"Rory! My darling! My love!" A delighted Lorelai squealed through the phone moments later. "How's my recent Grad? [_No, Luke, its Rory. Can't I just… fine. Ok. OK!] _Rory, hold on. Luke is kicking me out. [_This is unconstitutional! There must be Geneva Convention Laws against this sort of treatment! It's unethical and un-American and_ –] Ok, I'm outside now. How are you, doll?" Lorelai finished her tirade out of Luke's Diner with the finality of a door slam.

"Oh, you know. I'm fine. Finished with school. Missing home. Missing you. Thinking of moving home for a bit to decompress. " Rory said in rapid succession, her mouth moving faster than her brain. _Huh? Moving home? Where did that come from?_

"Hun! That would be great! Everyone really misses you around here. In fact, Ms. Patty has been keeping a dossier of potential suitors for you just in case you did decide to come back. We could set it up like a reality show. We could call it, _Book of Love with Rory Gilmore_ or _Everybody Loves Rory _or -"

"Mom," Rory gently interrupted her mother's rant.

"Huh? What? Sorry. You know how I love a good tangent."

"Yes. I think I might remember that about you." Then, after a brief pause, "So… Jess is back in Stars Hollow?"

"Oh yeah. He just moved back." A pause. " Remember that publishing house he worked at in Philadelphia?"

Of course Rory remembered Truncheon Books. It was the site of Jess and Rory's last meeting, their last kiss. It seemed like ages ago. She has been so torn up by her floundering relationship with Logan, she didn't know which way was up. She had kissed Jess then run. That seemed to be a common thread throughout their entire relationship. They hadn't spoken since.

"Well, it was recently bought by a larger publishing company," Lorelai continued, oblivious to Rory's inner monologue. "Jess apparently made a nice little profit and decided to move back for a bit and help Luke with the diner while he figures out his next move. I didn't tell you that?"

"No. You definitely didn't. I think I would have remembered something like that."

"Sorry, kiddo. I meant to tell you. It just happened recently. Luke and I have been working on the house and I've just been so busy with that and the Inn and it just slipped my mind. Forgive me?"

"Of course I do. I was just surprised is all. And since when have you guys been friendly enough for him to be answering your phone?"

"Ah, well. He's grown up a lot. He's been so great taking care of the diner. Which lets Luke and I have more time together."

Rory was stunned. She'd never heard her mom say nice things about Jess ever – much less be on the cusp of gushing about him. Eventually, the conversation shifted from Jess to how the rest of the town was faring and finally to the plans of Rory's return. In a month, when her lease in Morningside Heights was up, Rory would pack up her belongings and make the trek back to Stars Hollow.

The next month flew by as spring began to feel more like summer. And with the raising of the temperature, so too did Rory's trepidation of moving back to Stars Hollow. The decision had been so rash. She was usually a consummate plan maker, to-do list readily in hand. But as soon as she'd heard his voice, his gritty, mocking, albeit sexy voice, something in her had made that decision – planning and reasoning be damned.

It hadn't taken her long to pack the U-Haul, as her small apartment hadn't allowed room for much in the way of amenities. She took a swig from her thermos full of coffee as she merged into traffic and headed north on I-95. The closer she got to home, the more excited she was. She hadn't been home since Christmas and even then it was a short visit. She made a mental list of everything she would do once she made it back. Definitely Chinese food from Al's Pancake World; Westin's for some red velvet cake; a couple hours at the book store; a stop in to see Lane and Zack, who were now running the local music store; and maybe, just maybe, a stop in at Luke's.

It took her just over two and a half hours to make it back to Stars Hollow. She parked the U-Haul in her mother's driveway and jumped out of the cab, stretching her limbs experimentally after the commute. As she did so, she heard a crash, a yelp and bark emanate from the front porch.

"RORY!" Lorelai (the source of the yelp) bellowed as she ran down the front porch followed closely by Paul Anka (the source of the bark) and Luke, who'd been pushed into the screen door (the source of the crash).

"Mom!" Rory yelped in return, running to envelop her mother in a giddy and high-pitched sqeal/hug combo. After the jumping subsided, Rory reached down to scratch Paul Anka behind the ears and rub the belly that was offered soon after. After what Rory thought was an adequate amount of time belly scratching – though Paul Anka seemed to disagree – she rose to greet Luke with a tight hug.

"Oh, Scarecrow! I missed you the most!"

"Wizard of Oz. A reference I actually get. I'll take it," Luke said with a gruff smile, releasing her from the tight hug. "Missed you too, Rory. You hungry?"

Rory sized him up incredulously, as if trying to decide if he was asking the question seriously. Behind them, Lorelai stared at Luke in disbelief as well, looking at him like he wasn't very bright. If the Gilmore Girls were known for anything, it was their appetite.

"Ok. Ok. Sorry. Dumb question. Let's go grab a bite," Luke said, skipping the backpedaling and going straight for the apology and the resolution.

After leading Paul Anka back into the house, the trio headed for town square in search of dinner. It was sunset and, in Rory's opinion, Stars Hollow had never looked more beautiful. Though as they walked, something started to seem a little "off". There were no patrons in the little town shops and, in fact, many shops had turned off their lights and flipped the signs to "closed". It was well before 8 p.m. and it was a Friday night; this was downright odd. And as they approached the town square, she was sure she heard several muffled "shhhhh's".

Turning the corner, Rory jumped when she heard what seemed like the entire population of Stars Hollow bellow out a loud, "Surprise!"

A large banner reading "Welcome Home, Rory!" had been raised and there was suddenly an ambush of music and food and hugs. She was immediately crushed by Sookie St. James, who had really outdone herself with the spread of food and beverages that lay beyond her, just out of reach.

The night was a whirlwind of excitement. Ms. Patty's girls started the night off with a bang with a rousing rendition of show tunes from Cabaret to Miss Saigon, followed by a couple lengthy sets by Hep Alien. At some point during the night, she was given a tiara and a glass of wine that had been "Lorelaid." The glass was covered from stem to rim in pink feathers, glitter and jewels. The white wine in the glass wasn't too bad either.

Rory was famished but every time she attempted to get close to the buffet line, someone would whisk her away to catch up on life, or meet new towns folk, or – in Ms. Patty's case – introduce her to her would-be gentlemen suitors. Rory figured that since Lorelai and Luke seemed to be headed in the right direction, as they were now living together, Ms. Patty had made Rory her new project.

By the end of the evening, when Rory finally had a moment's peace, she made her way to the buffet table only to find that it had been entirely cleaned out. Alarmed, and just a little bit tipsy, she looked around at the tables, hoping maybe someone had left out a bread basket or a cheese plate. But alas, the only plate of food she saw was currently serving as a pillow for Kirk who has passed out in his Brie, bull horn hugged tightly to his chest.

As she slumped dejectedly into the closest seat, she took her last sip of her wine, holding the glass above her head to make sure she got the last drop. Hey, wine is made from grapes, right? _Got to eat something._ She rationalized.

When she finally set her glass down with a pout, she focused her attention across the promenade. The only storefront still lit was that of Luke's Diner. Inside, she could just make out the form of one Jess Mariano. He was bent over a table, wiping with purpose and nodding his head to some music she couldn't hear. It wasn't the first time that night she realized he hadn't been to her Welcome Home Party, but it was the most upset she'd gotten about it. She'd been disappointed sure, but she was now clearly perturbed.

Perhaps she'd gained a new resolve in her adult years, perhaps she was really that mad, perhaps (probably)it was the wine, but she stood, made her way across the square and marched up to the front door of Luke's – wine glass in hand and tiara firmly planted on her head.

With determination, she reached for the handle and turned, only to find that it was locked.

"Closed," Jess shouted over his loud music without looking up, continuing his clean-up process.

Rory huffed, smoothed her jeans and tank top, straightened her tiara, and knocked twice on the glass door.

"Closed," Jess shouted louder, this time pointing towards the "Closed" sign but again not looking up.

Rory was getting agitated. Cementing her resolve in place she banged loudly on the door without stopping.

"Listen, buddy," he said tossing down his cleaning rag. "I said we're cl – " Jess stopped short as he looked up and met Rory's eyes.

A look crossed his face that Rory, in her current state, couldn't identify. The look lasted a mere moment before it was replaced by his traditional devil-may-care safety net. Grabbing a remote from the nearby counter, Jess lowered the volume of the music and walked towards the door.

Jess held Rory's gaze as he unlocked and opened the door. He stepped back to let her in, taking in her attire.

"Well, well," he said, his face unreadable. "The once and future queen returns."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Thanks to you guys who reviewed! Your kind words are like a drug. More! More! But seriously, thanks. It means a lot that my story has been well received. Oh, and I noticed that I had been spelling Lorelai wrong just before it was pointed out. I'll make sure to fix it! Thanks again, guys! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I - unfortunately - do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). This story is for pure entertainment purposes. Besides, if you sue me, it's not like I have much to give anyway :)

**Ever After You  
**_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Three  
**

**

* * *

**

Without the door between them, Rory was suddenly very aware of her proximity to Jess. No longer just a memory, Jess was right in front of her – flesh and blood and bone and... dark hair and soulful eyes... _Focus, Rory. _

But she was sucked in. Not only could she see him up close and personal (and what a sight it was), but she could hear the sound of his voice (still mocking), smell what remained of his cologne (spicy?), and even reach out and touch him (oh, the possibilities).That was four out of the five senses. She felt inclined to let that final sense lie buried; she wasn't sure she was ready to rehash that tasty and delectable memory just yet.

"What, no rebuttal? Losing your touch, Gilmore?" teased Jess.

Rory realized she'd been having a silent conversation with herself instead of giving Jess a piece of her mind like she'd planned. Remembering why she was there in the first place, she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, narrowed her eyes, and prepared to let Jess have it. But as she changed her posture, so too did Jess, Rory noticed. His body language became defensive and his face became a blank slate – a posturing she remembered all too well. At the last second, she changed her tactics.

"What band is this?" asked Rory of the still somewhat-blaring music, stepping by a suddenly surprised-looking Jess. "This music doesn't seem hard enough for you. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like it but it just seems like a softer side of Jess Mariano."

Momentarily stunned by her change in demeanor, Jess shook off the astonishment, closed the front door and turned to face Rory, who was now bent over his MP3 player that had been sitting on the counter.

"Grizzly Bear," he answered mindlessly before switching gears. "What are you doing here, Rory?" Guarded.

"Grizzly Bear, huh? I think I've heard Lane mention them. Sort of like psychedelic pop, folk-rock. Didn't they tour with Tokyo Police Club a few years ago? I can't remember. I'll have to ask Lane. But yeah, I really like this," rambled Rory, not quite sure how to answer Jess' question.

"Rory," Jess pressed. "It's late. What are you doing here?"

Rory looked up from the MP3 player as Jess gently removed it from her hands. Their fingers brushed lightly and she felt a jolt rush through her body. Had he felt it too? She found herself eye to eye with a man she never thought she'd be so close to again. His eyes were just as she remembered: dark, broody, intense. Rory felt her resolve crumble.

"I'm hungry," she said with a shrug. "And thirsty."

"Hungry?" He asked in disbelief. "Didn't you just come from a party _for you _where there was tons of food?"

"We'll, there _was_ tons of food but I didn't get to eat any. Every time I tried to eat, I would get pulled away by someone to chat or meet a new townsperson or get ambushed by the men Ms. Patty plans to sacrifice me to! And on top of that, somehow my wine glass kept getting filled and so now I'm just slightly intoxicated from drinking on an empty stomach and _for the love of god_ please feed me!" Rory said without taking a breath.

Jess sized her up with a humorous expression on his face. Taking in the tiara, the decorative goblet and pleading look on her face, he had no choice but to acquiesce. He'd spent enough time around the Gilmore women to know that resistance was indeed futile.

"Fine," he deadpanned.

"Really?" asked Rory, brightening. "Oh, you are the best! It doesn't matter what you make! Anything will do!"

"Ok. Fries?"

"Ehh," Rory intoned noncommittally.

"Burgers?"

"Hmmm."

"Pie?"

"Well…"

"Rory."

"Pancakes?" Rory asked hopefully.

"Pancakes," he stated, unenthusiastically.

"With blueberries?"

"One condition," he sighed. "You sit down. You're bobbing and weaving a bit too much for my taste. How much did you drink?"

"I don't really know," she said seriously, carefully maneuvering herself to the closest seat. "Every time I looked up, it seemed to have refilled itself."

Jess shook his head in mock frustration and set to work heating the stove top and mixing the batter. He placed a glass of water and a cup of black coffee in front of Rory, who was giving herself a tour of Jess' music library. She mentally took notes on several bands she would have to check out.

"You should write them down," said Jess, sliding a napkin and a pen in front of her.

"What?"

"The band names you're trying to remember. You should write them down."

"How do you know that's what I'm doing?" asked Rory, genuinely curious.

"I don't know. I guess I just remember that look you'd get on your face when you were studying."

"Oh," Rory said with a blush creeping up her face. He'd been watching her. Her mind instantly flashed images from the times she'd spent with Jess when they were younger. Her studying, him distracting her from studying. Debating books and movies. Verbally sparring. Kissing. Arms and legs intertwined. _Rory_. She break-checked herself.

Rory sat in silence, rolling the pen between her fingers, contemplating exactly what had given her the wild idea of storming into Luke's. Despite the music playing over the sound system – which had to have been installed by Jess – the silence seemed deafening. Just as she thought she couldn't take it anymore, Jess set a plate of steaming blueberry pancakes in front of her.

Focusing her attention on the beautiful sight of the pancakes, Rory's eyes glazed over in delight.

"This is the best meal I've ever had," said Rory in awe.

"You haven't even taken a bite yet."

"Mere circumstance," she said, brushing off his statement as she carefully poured syrup on the warm cakes. Jess, eyebrows raised, watched Rory as she took a bite and closed her eyes, chewing deliberately with a smile on her face.

As Rory worked on finishing her meal, Jess returned to his closing duties. She sat in silence, again debating whether or not to breech the subject of his absence at her homecoming.

"What's the matter, your Highness?" Jess asked, appearing from behind Rory to lift the now-empty plate over her shoulder. He was so close, she could feel his body heat on her uncovered shoulder; subconsciously she leaned closer to him as he removed the offending dish. She simply shrugged in response. She was still sitting at the counter when he returned from putting the dishes in the kitchen. After a moment of awkward silence, they spoke at the same time.

"I should probably lock up." - "I guess I should head home."

Rory laughed nervously and Jess shoved his hands in his pockets, seeming suddenly interested in his shoes. Rory walked to the door as Jess fell in a step behind her. When she got to the door, she twisted the knob and pulled. Stepping into the doorway, she turned to face Jess who waiting for her to exit so he could lock up – again.

"Thanks for feeding me, Jess," said Rory, stalling.

"Don't mention it. You sure you're OK to get home by yourself there, Lindsey Lohan?" Jess joked.

"Oh yeah, I'll be fine. It's just a short walk." Still stalling.

"Rory?"

"Yeah?" she asked hopefully.

"Hard to close the door with you standing in the door frame."

"Oh, right," she said, turning to leave.

She stopped halfway and whipped herself back around, to look Jess in the eyes. Before she even knew what she was doing, she pinned him with a stare and asked, "Why didn't you come to my homecoming tonight?"

As if in response to her accusatory tone, Jess let a wall fall in front of his face, his features melding into stone. "I need to lock up. You should go, Rory," said Jess with finality.

Feeling as if she'd been hit by a ton of bricks, Rory backed out of Luke's, dazed. She'd known that she probably should have worked her way up to asking the question – and probably not asked so abruptly –but she just couldn't help it. He was still as hard to read as ever and she'd obviously struck a nerve.

"Yeah, ok," she conceded. "See you around."

"Rory -," Jess started, apologetic.

"Don't worry about it," Rory said, feeling embarrassed of the tears threatening to fall. Thankful she had her back to him, she raised an arm in a goodbye gesture and walked alone into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I - unfortunately - do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). This story is for pure entertainment purposes. Besides, if you sue me, it's not like I have much to give anyway :)

**Ever After You****  
**_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Four**

**

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**

Rory awoke the next morning to the furious sound of jack hammering. _Seriously, Luke? Home repair this early in the morning?_ Groaning, she rolled over to bury her head under a pillow, only to realize the pounding was coming from inside her own head. Peeking out from under the mound of goose down, she squinted irritably at the bright sunlight shining happily through her window.

"Rory?" Came her mother's voice, accompanied by a light knock, from the other side of her door. "Sweetie, it's almost noon. You alive in there? Can I come in?"

A throaty "Mmmhmm" was all Rory could muster as she sat up slowly.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," said Lorelai, entering the room with two large steaming mugs of coffee.

"Coffee good," mumbled Rory, reaching for a mug and slowly raising it to her lips. "You're a goddess," she smiled after taking a sip.

"Well, duh," shrugged Lorelai while appraising her daughter's disheveled appearance – hair tangled, makeup still on, eyes puffy from sleep. "Looks like you had fun at your party last night."

"Oh." The after-hours visit with Jess came rushing back her. "Yeah, it was fun… Mostly." She mumbled the last word.

"Mostly?"

Rory, realizing she'd been heard, backtracked. "Well, those guys Patty tried to set me up with left something to be desired."

"Ah, yes. But hey, at least it isn't me she's trying to set up anymore. Maybe I could help Patty with the next batch she brings in," said Lorelai with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Sadist."

"From goddess to sadist in under a minute; that's impressive, even for me."

Under Rory's glare, Lorelai promptly switched gears, "Say, why don't we hit up Luke's for some lunch? You go get ready and I'll meet you there in about an hour?"

Rory felt her stomach flip and her face momentarily drop. Luke's was the last place she wanted to be but she wasn't quite ready to explain to her mother the reason why. With false bravado, Rory agreed.

"Uh, sure. That sounds great." An errant thought suddenly popped into her head. "But let's make it an hour and a half. I have a stop to make first."

* * *

After a long shower and another large cup of black coffee, Rory felt almost human again. Strolling down Peach Street, she found she wasn't nearly as upset with the sunshine as when she'd awoken that morning. A warm breeze rolled through the town, causing tree branches to sway to the music of nearby wind chimes.

New York had been a wonderful place to live. She'd enjoyed the hustle and bustle, the vibrant energy of the city, and laundry list of places to go and things to do. But she'd missed the quaint town of Stars Hollow, with all its picturesque beauty and one-of-a-kind inhabitants. She smiled as she reached her destination.

As she pulled open the heavy glass door, she was greeted by the staunchly-English music of The Kinks playing over the loud speakers of the cramped music store. The space had gone through a transformation in the time that Lane and Zach had owned it. With an extensive collection of little-known Indie rock bands and first-edition records, it was a collection of which any audiophile would be proud.

"Lane? Are you here?" She called out, attempting to make her voice heard over the British Invasion.

"Rory?"

Rory scanned the store but couldn't see her friend. "Lane?"

"Rory?"

"Marco," yelled Rory, recalling a game from their youth.

"Polo."

"Marco."

"Polo," called Lane, popping out from behind a tall record case with a smile on her face.

"Hi there," deadpanned Rory, eyes narrowed.

"Uh, oh. I'm in trouble, aren't I?" smile fading.

"Why, yes. Yes you are. Would you care to take a guess as to why? A flailing, shot in the dark kind of guess as to why you would be in my doghouse?"

Lane appraised Rory's folded arms and stern gaze and decided she was serious.

"Because Jess moved back to town months ago and has been working and living at Luke's and you and I have been in constant contact since that time and I have never once mentioned his arrival and that is something you would definitely want to know?" Lane responded all in one breath.

"Wow. That was amazing," said Rory, admiring Lane's supreme skills of verbal summarization.

"Rory."

"No, I mean it. That was amazing. I should take you on the road. We could make a fortune."

"Rory, I'm sorry."

Rory sighed, dropping the act. "I know you're sorry. And I'm not really that mad, but why didn't anyone tell me he was back?"

"Truth?"

"Yes, please."

"Well, your mom and I had this huge discussion right after he moved back. We didn't think it would be a good idea for you to know until you'd already made your decision about what to do after grad school. We were afraid you'd either never come back to visit us or you would drop everything you'd worked so hard for and come back for him. Neither seemed like a good option. So we held our tongues."

"You guys thought me knowing Jess was back would have had an impact on my decision making?" asked Rory incredulously.

"Rory, Jess isn't like Dean or Logan. You and Jess," she paused, choosing her next words carefully. "Well, honestly, I don't know how to put it. There was just something different about you two. The way you could affect one other…" Lane dropped off, seemingly lost in thought.

"Well, OK, yes, that may have been true in the past. But we are both mature adults now. Those feelings are long gone. No residual feelings whatsoever. We are both very over it." Rory's chest tightened slightly as she said the words she somehow knew weren't entirely true, at least from her end. "I mean, he didn't come to my party. He doesn't even look at me the same way anymore."

"Look at you? When did you see Jess?" Lane asked, suddenly intrigued.

Her face reddening, Rory regaled Lane with the full details of her encounter with Jess – sparing no minutiae. Rory was beginning to feel dejected all over again when Lane suddenly interrupted.

"What time did you say this was?"

"I don't know. Late. Probably around midnight?"

"Rory, the diner had been closed for hours. Why was Jess still there? He should have been done cleaning way before then. He probably didn't get a table all night with your party going on."

"What are you saying?"

"What if Jess was too afraid to see you face-to-face. What if he wanted to see you but could only bare it from afar? I mean, after what happened at Traction – "

"Truncheon."

"Whatever. What I'm saying is; what if he's not over you?"

Rory rolled the thought around her head. No, that couldn't have been it. He had been so cold to her at times the night before, and defensive most of the other times. No, Lane was wrong.

"I don't think so Lane. I think I killed any chance I had with him years ago. We've just been through too much. Right now, I'd just settle for being his friend. Or even being friend-ish. Or at the very least, friendly."

Lane stared at Rory in disbelief. Either her friend was a moron (unlikely) or she really had convinced herself that there were no feelings between the two anymore. Lane simply smiled in resignation.

"Well, I have to run," Rory unsuccessfully segued, feeling suddenly uncomfortable at the look her friend was giving her. "I'm meeting mom for lunch."

After hugging Lane goodbye, she turned to leave but stopped short and turned back to face her friend. "But before I go… you wouldn't happen to have any Grizzly Bear would you?"

* * *

**A/N: **Apologies for the lack of Jess in this chapter... hey, it just makes you miss him more, right? I promise he will be back soon! Thanks for reading! Please R&R!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Sorry it has been a few days since my last update. My muse deserted me for a couple days and then I was out of town with no time to write. Thanks for sticking with me. Now, as promised, a little Jess for ya!

**Disclaimer: **I - unfortunately - do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). This story is for pure entertainment purposes. Besides, if you sue me, it's not like I have much to give anyway :)

**Ever After You**_  
by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Five**

**

* * *

**

The diner was packed by the time Rory walked through the front door of the memory-filled restaurant. She spotted her mother at a table in the corner, slowly sipping on a large mug of coffee. As she slid into the seat opposite Lorelai she gave the diner a quick once over, relaxing immediately when she saw neither hide nor hair of a certain messy-haired former delinquent. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned her full attention to the feisty woman sitting across from her – who was, at that moment, engaged in an argument with a clearly-annoyed Kirk, though his demeanor was nothing new. The dispute seemed to be in relation to how long Lorelai had been taking up the table by herself without ordering anything but coffee. Rory's timely appearance gave Lorelai the trump card in the argument and Kirk had no choice but to move on to disturb other customers.

"Hey, Sweets," greeted Lorelai with a grin, basking in her de facto victory. "Where did ya go?"

"I stopped by to see Lane. We didn't really get a chance to talk last night, what with her being such a rock star and all."

"Is that all?" Eyebrows lifted.

"Yes?" Answered Rory, unsure of her mother's line of questioning.

"You mean to tell me you went to a music store and you didn't buy anything?"

"Oh," said Rory, relaxing. "Yeah. Of course I did." She pulled the CD from her purse and slid it across the table to Lorelai, who was reaching for the jewel case like a two year old would their favorite toy.

With a smile, she watched her mother pour over the liner notes. She hadn't realized just how much she would miss her Stars Hollow family when she'd moved to New York. Her studies at Columbia had been intense, as had her full-time internship with MSNBC, which left not much time for anything but school and work. When she was younger, she'd had her mind set on being an overseas news correspondent, but through her internship, she'd realized that it was an incredibly lonely existence. Always working, always traveling, always on the go. She still loved journalism but the longer she'd been away, the more she wanted to work closer to home.

"Coffee?" A sardonic voice asked from above, jolting her out of her reverie. A pot of coffee moved directly into her line of vision. Rory didn't need to look up to see who the voice belonged to, though she did anyway as she raised her gaze to meet Jess' deep brown eyes. He looked stiff and guarded, as if waiting to see her first move.

"Does Dolly Parton sleep on her back?" Rory asked rhetorically in an attempt to lighten the tension she felt between herself and Jess.

Jess bit back a smirk as he filled an empty mug and placed it in front of Rory. He refreshed Lorelai's cup as well.

"Well, ladies, what will we be having for lunch today?" Jess orated with mock enthusiasm, setting down the coffee pot and retrieving an order pad and pen from his pocket. "Might I recommend the blueberry pancakes? They're a great option anytime. Day or night."

Oblivious to Jess' pointed question, Lorelai looked up in delight. "Blueberry pancakes for lunch? That sounds just crazy enough to work. Yes, please!"

"Rory?" Jess asked turning to Lorelai's suddenly-white-as-a-sheet lunch companion.

"No. No pancakes. I'll take the French toast," she responded quickly.

"Ok. One order of blueberry pancakes and one order of French toast. Coming right up." Jess stuffed the pen and order pad back into his pocket and reached for the coffee pot. It was then he noticed the CD sitting in front of Lorelai.

"Listen to them much?" He asked Lorelai, nodding his head towards album.

"Me? No. Never heard of them. Rory bought this at Lane's place today. You know them?"

"Oh yeah. They're great. Quite the conversation starter." Jess failed to hold back his smirk this time as he turned to relay their orders to the kitchen.

"Rory honey, what's the matter? You look so pale all of a sudden." A concerned Lorelai asked, noticing her daughter's spot-on impression of Casper.

Rory thought she heard Jess snicker from the kitchen as she sunk down into her seat, mumbling something about white wine and tiaras.

* * *

After inhaling her lunch with a speed that would make even Takeru Kobayashi proud, Rory bolted from the restaurant using the excuse that she needed to unpack her belongings. She wasn't sure what to think about this so-called new-and-improved Jess. He kept his guard up in her presence and yet, she had caught him sneaking glances at her. Not to mention that the energy that had always been present between them seemed to be running at an even higher voltage; being in the same room with him made her body hum with electricity.

She recalled the last time they had been together, years ago when she'd made the trek up to Truncheon. She'd given him false hopes then – hopes they could be together again, as they should have been all along. She remembered it like it was yesterday. She'd burned the scene into her head, replaying it over and over. She had been sitting on an ottoman, he on a leather foot stool, their bodies leaning towards one another intimately. She'd known he was going to kiss her; she'd wanted him to. When their lips had touched, she'd forgotten everything. In that moment, there was no Yale, no Lorelai, no angry grandparents, no Logan. Everything she'd broken, everything she'd fixed, nothing else mattered in that moment but Jess.

When he'd shifted to pull her in closer it was then she'd broken out of her trance. She had pulled away, stepping back quickly. She couldn't do this to him. She couldn't be what he needed. Not then. So she'd done the only thing she could think of to push him away – she'd told him she was in love with Logan. It hadn't been a lie; she had been in love with Logan. But the love she felt for Logan couldn't hold a candle to the love she held in her heart for Jess. Logan could never have the same power over her that Jess had – would always have – and that's why she did it. She was protecting her own heart and, in the long run, she was protecting his. But in that moment, she hated herself for what she'd had to do.

"It is what it is, you and me," he'd said, acknowledging the fatal pull they'd always had on one another. The sadness in his eyes was something Rory would never forget as long as she lived. It was no wonder Jess was so guarded whenever she was near.

Rory sighed as she reached her front door, pulled it open, and stepped through. Despite the nature of her earlier excuse, she actually did need to unpack her things. Luke had stowed her larger items like the futon and the coffee table in the storage shed so all she had left to do was unpack her boxes of clothing, housewares, and mementos. She popped her new CD into the stereo she'd had since middle school and set to work. It took her the better part of the afternoon but she finally got her belongings in some semblance of order.

Her bookshelf was overflowing more than it had ever been as she'd fostered quite the collection over the years. Walking over to the offending shelves, she ran her fingers over the spines of some of her favorite books. Represented were Austin, Tolstoy, Vonnegut, Rand, Ginsberg. She paused over the last book, "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg, pulling it free from its confines. She flipped open the slim publication and smiled at the margin notes that had been written by a seventeen-year-old Jess after he had swiped the book from her room at his welcome to town dinner party so many years ago. His first act of attraction, she'd later figured out. Making up her mind, Rory closed the book, held it tightly in her hands, and set off to find a peaceful spot to read.

The gazebo was out, since it was anything but quiet in the town square on a Saturday afternoon, as was the bookstore, which was holding a sidewalk sale. She paused by the bookstore momentarily, contemplating a shopping spree, but decided she didn't want to walk all the way back home to grab money. Following the road out of town, Rory headed towards the bridge; she'd always loved that spot and she knew it would be quiet. Finally free from pedestrian traffic, Rory opened the book at the beginning and started to read, her nose buried in the pages.

Her feet took her to the bridge by memory, one foot confidently in front of the other. She heard the sound of her footfalls change from the crunch of grass to the _thunk_ of wood as she stepped onto the low bridge. In her periphery, she saw a form, legs dangling over the sides of the bride. Surprised, she looked up and immediately wished she hadn't. There, sitting at the edge of dock, feet slipped over the sides, and typing away furiously on a laptop, was Jess. His brow furrowed as he hunched over his screen.

Rory skidded to a stop, unsure of what to do next. He hadn't seen her. Maybe she could just back away slowly. As she took a step back, she stepped on a twig, breaking it in half loudly. _Damn you, twig!_ Jess snapped his head up in her direction. Surprise filled his face for about a nanosecond before it was replaced by a manufactured smirk.

"Gilmore." Head tilted, eyebrows to the heavens. "We've got to stop meeting like this."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**Ever After You**_  
by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Six  


* * *

**

He had always been the only person that could render her speechless with a single sentence. As he sat there staring up at her, waiting for her retort, Rory's mind was a blank slate. She couldn't think of one response. Instead she walked towards him, lowered herself to the dock, and swung her feet over the sides.

"Aren't you afraid of dropping that?" Rory asked gesturing towards the computer he had balanced on his lap, dangling precariously over the water.

"Nah. You know me. I like to live on the edge."

"That you do," Rory nodded in agreement, then craned her neck to take a peek at his monitor "What are you working on?"

"Nothing really. Just a new project."

"Really?" Rory's eyes lit up. "That's great, Jess! How many books does that make for you now?"

"This will be my fourth," said Jess, looking more relaxed as they moved into a topic with which he was comfortable. "The cool thing is that this one is getting a wide release. I was picked up by a real publishing company, not an independent one."

"That's amazing! The company that bought Truncheon?" Rory surmised.

"Yeah. When they made up their minds to buy the place, they went through all the works we'd published and they decided to exercise their options on a few of the authors."

"Like you?"

"Yeah," with a smile. "Like me. And if this one does well, they'll re-release all my previous work nationally."

"Wow, Jess. I'm really proud of you. I always knew you could be a famous author."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. This one has to do well first."

"Oh, it will. I just know it. And then I can tell everyone that I knew you way back when. I can sell everything you ever touched on eBay and make a fortune!"

"Like a slightly worn copy of 'Howl' complete with pretentious notes in the margins?" Jess joked, finally noticing the book in which she had been thoroughly engrossed.

"Oh, no," Rory replied, looking down at the book seriously. "I would never get rid of this one. Not ever."

Jess searched Rory's face, looking for signs of sarcasm. Finding none, they slipped into a comfortable silence. She returned to Ginsberg and he began typing again. A few minutes passed before Rory looked up and spoke out of the blue.

"Can I read them?"

Confused, Jess raised his gaze from his computer screen to meet her eyes. After a moment, it dawned on him what she was asking.

"My books."

"I only got to read your first one. Luke mentioned that you'd written others. I wanted to read them but I couldn't find them anywhere. "

"Yeah, after that whole thing at Truncheon, I wasn't sure if I should get involved in your life at all. Not even to send you my books. It's just that you and me…" he trailed off.

"It is what is," finished Rory with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her stomach turned at the memory of the last time they'd had this conversation.

"Exactly."

"It's just…" Rory began. "I think that's kind of a moot point now, don't you? Considering here we are, back in Stars Hollow, involved in each other's lives again – whether we like it or not."

"There's evidence to support that theory, yes."

"So it's settled."

"It is?"

"Yes. You're going to give me your books to read and we're not going to act like teenagers around each other anymore."

"Rory, I'm a 27-year-old man. I'm biologically programmed to act like a teenager for at least 30 more years."

"Pont taken."

"But, I do think we should give being friends a try, starting with me getting you copies of my books."

_Friends. _Rory rolled the concept around her brain. It wasn't exactly the endgame she'd been hoping for but she was grateful for the olive branch Jess had extended. After all they'd put each other through over the years, friends might be what they were destined for, and it was in that moment, Rory realized having Jess in her life as a friend was better than having no Jess in her life at all.

"Friends," the word tasted funny on her tongue, like a spice she'd never tried before. Not unpleasant, jut unfamiliar. She and Jess had never really been friends. There had always been ulterior motives on one side or the other. _Maybe this is what grownups do?_

With a genuine smile, she extended her hand out to Jess. He regarded her hand carefully, as if checking to see if she was wearing a hand buzzer. Finally deciding it was safe, a slow grin spread on his face, lighting up his eyes. It was one of the most beautiful things Rory had ever seen.

"Friends," he nodded, taking her hand.

His palm felt warm in hers. His grasp was strong and his skin was a curious mixture of soft and rough, as if he was no stranger to hard work. That was something that had always bothered her about Logan; his skin had been softer than her own. His life of charm and privilege had kept him from developing one single blister or callus.

Eyes locked, they regretfully disentangled – both wondering what they'd just gotten themselves into.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, they developed a familiar pattern. She saw him almost daily at the diner. They'd sit across from each other on the nights Luke would cook at home. They ran into one another at the bookstore, searching the stacks for hidden gems. They would often spend time together in silence, Jess writing and Rory researching for the freelance work she was doing for local publications.

They spent a great majority of their time together at the bridge, the scene of their first unofficial date some ten years ago. She pestered him occasionally, hoping to read his manuscript, which he always denied her.

"Not until it's finished," he would respond, keeping the computer screen out of Rory's line of sight.

She would "harrumph" and pout, to no avail, as had become their routine. When they conversed, they always kept things light, bordering on flirtatious, and spoke only of safe topics such as movies, music, and just how Glenn Beck still managed to have a TV show people actually watched.

It was during one such debate on an overcast Thursday afternoon in June when Jess threw Rory for a loop.

She had been just about to deliver the death blow to Glenn, her eyes bright and words flying from her lips at a mile a minute, when Jess did something that surprised even himself.

"Do you want to get dinner tonight. You know, together?"

Rory's tirade skidded to a halt. Had she heard him correctly? Had Jess just asked her out on a date? She lost all control of speech as she looked at Jess, dumbfounded. Was this a test? Was he baiting her? Just waiting for her to say yes so he could laugh in her face, slap her on the back, and give her hell for falling for his trick. As she searched his eyes for any hint of foul play, she couldn't find a trace of anything other than growing fear. _Speak._ She willed herself. It was as if she'd forgotten how to form words. For what seemed like the longest moment in all of history, the couple sat staring at one another. Jess was the first to break away, angry posing the question.

"Never mind. That was stupid. I shouldn't have – "

"I'd love to," Rory interrupted, finally regaining the ability to speak.

"Great."

"Great."

"Pick you up at seven?"

"Great."

"Great."

After an awkward pause: "OK. Bye."

"Bye."

Rory hastily jumped up from her perch on the bridge. Doing so, she dropped her papers and scrambled to pick them up. Jess appraised Rory with humor, handing her the sheets that had flown in his direction. She willed herself to calm down and walk away with dignity. Straightening her back, she slowed her breathing and sauntered away, calm, cool, and collected. As soon as she was out of Jess 'sight, she broke into a dead run towards Lane's store.

"Lane!" Rory wailed as she flung open the door, the cheerful bell oblivious to her distress. "Code red!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **A shorter update than usual… laying the groundwork for the date. Thanks again for reading and thanks especially to those who have commented. It really means a lot.

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**Ever After You**_  
by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Seven****  
**

"Lane!" Rory bellowed again, not seeing anyone in the shop. "I need you! Jess just asked me out, you know, on a date!"

"Oh, my." Rory heard a familiar gasp from the back section of the store where the show tunes and jazz albums were housed. Her heart sank, knowing full well who had just heard her confession. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping maybe if she wished hard enough she could go back in time and erase her gaffe. After several seconds of intense bargaining and a few heel clicks a la Dorothy Gale for good measure, Rory peeked out through slit eyes. Sighing, she found herself standing in the very same spot (damn it) facing the one-and-only Miss Patty who looked happy as a cat with kittens.

"Hello, Rory dear," said Miss Patty, stepping out from the now dark-and-ominous-looking corner she had been occupying. "Looks like Lane and Zach don't have what I'm looking for. I guess I should be going – I'm teaching a class tonight. See you later!" Miss Patty rushed past her and out the door so quickly, Rory's light tank top fluttered in the breeze created by the older woman's hasty exit.

Head in her hands, Rory called out again for Lane, this time (mercifully) finding success as Lane bounded down the stairs leading from her upstairs apartment into the store. Lane's excited expression faded into one of concern when she saw her friend's obvious distress.

"Rory! What's the matter?"

Looking up from her hands, a red-faced Rory blurted out how Jess had asked her on a date, how she'd dropped all her papers while trying to appear cool, her breakneck run from the bridge to the music store and how Miss Patty was – at that very moment – telling everyone in town about her dinner plans with Jess. Though her story came out disjointed and too quick for the average human to comprehend, Lane followed the play-by-play with ease, having two decades of experience to draw upon. She spoke "Gilmore" more fluently than anyone and it was times like this when that skill came in very handy. While Rory babbled on about her date anxiety, Lane silently listened, leading her friend upstairs and seating her at the kitchen table. Lane processed the details flying at her in rapid succession while she pulled a mug from her cabinets and filled it with freshly-made coffee. It wasn't until Lane set the cup down in front of her friend that Rory took a breath. It was just the opening Lane needed.

"I'm going to kill him." Rory baulked at Lane's reaction.

"What?" Rory's outburst was suddenly on hold. "Why? I thought everyone loved Jess now."

"Well, he has certainly assimilated nicely into Stars Hollow this time around, but that doesn't mean I want him sniffing around my women!" Her statement held a joking tone but it was underlined with protectiveness.

"Lane!" Incredulous.

"What? He hurt you. A few times. I'm not just gonna forget about all that. I'm not that easy. Unlike some people I know..."

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry, but that's just the way I see it. Maybe I should go with you as your chaperone or maybe I can find a chastity belt somewhere in Momma's store or what it if I tell him you have been cursed and that just one touch will make him sterile and his naughty bits shrink."

Rory dissolved into giggles, her anxiety dissipating. She'd known Lane would be the right person to help calm her down.

"All joking aside," Lane started, "you sure you are ready to do this?"

"No," Rory admitted. "But I'm sure I want to try."

"Well alright then. Let's discuss hair and makeup first then we move on to the outfit."

* * *

After hours of meticulous planning and preparation, Rory stepped out of Sophie's Music – Lane had never had the heart to change the name when she'd taken over, keeping the name in homage to the original owner – with a bounce in her step. Rory had never been one to be cocky about her looks, but at that moment she felt damn good. Her long brown hair cascaded in waves down her back, pulled halfway up and secured with bobby pins. Her makeup had been expertly applied, creating the illusion she was barefaced while still enhancing her features. But the pièce de la résistance was the silky blue dress she'd borrowed from Lane. The deep blue of the fabric made the cobalt of Rory's eyes striking against her pale skin. The silk flowed over her bare legs ethereally as she walked towards her mother's house.

The walk was too short, as she worried what her mother's reaction to the news might be. Would she be happy? Angry? Would she remember why she'd hated Jess in the first place and revert back to form? She had no more time left to wonder as she reached the front door; no sooner had she reached out for the worn metal knob was the door was flung open by an exasperated Lorelai.

"Luuucy," Lorelai falsettoed in her best Cuban accent. "You've got some 'splainin' to do."

"News travels fast," resigned Rory, stepping by her mother into the house. "Miss Patty?"

"By way of Babette. So... Jess?"

"Yep."

"Ok..." Lorelai began, hoping Rory would expound.

"What is with this town? I thought everyone was all Team Jess now. That he'd turned over a new leaf or something like that."

"He's been, well I wouldn't say pleasant by any means, but certainly less acerbic since he's come back – but that doesn't mean he's completely off the hook. It's still you. He's still... Jess." Lorelai scrunched her nose when she said his name but instantly recognized the look Rory was giving her – it was a stubborn look she had given in many a stare-down. "But honey, if you are willing to give him a chance, then I am willing to give him a probationary period."

"Really?"

"Yes. And he can even get out early for good behavior."

"_Really?_"

"Yes. Promise."

"Good." Rory lunched forward to envelop her mom in a hug.

At that moment, there was a knock at the front door and Rory's eyes lit up with joy. She jumped up from the couch and walked to greet Jess. Before she opened the door she swung back around to her Lorelai.

"How do I look?"

"Perfect," said Lorelai in all honesty.

Rory smiled in return and grabbed a light cardigan from the coat rack to throw over her shoulders if the temperature dropped. Smoothing the imaginary wrinkles in her skirt with one hand, she pulled the door open with the other.

Her stomach did a double-barrel roll when she saw Jess standing on her porch, holding a single Casablanca lily, and looking good enough to eat.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the lag between updates. I blame a combination of writer's block, work, and this new book I'm reading. To atone, this is a longish chapter that has a some fun at the end. _**Warning**__:_ It is a bit dirty but I think it is more of a hard T rating than a full-on M. Please let me know though and I'll change the rating. Thanks again for reading. Please remember to review. It really means a lot to the authors and it helps motivate us to update faster. Thanks again and ENJOY!

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**Ever After You**  
_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Eight

* * *

**

To Rory, Jess looked like a modern day James Dean. Dressed in dark slacks, a light form-fitting linen button up and thin tie, Jess might as well have just stepped off the cover of _GQ _magazine. For what seemed like the umpteenth time since they'd both arrived back in Stars Hollow, Rory was at a loss for words. She'd never seen him look so handsome or so put together. He was a man, in every sense of the word.

The last time she'd seen him in Philadelphia, he'd been well on his way to maturity. The way he'd interacted with coworkers and friends, the fact that he could _keep_ friends, and the way he hadn't just shut down when she'd blown him off were all parts of a Jess Rory had never met when they'd been younger. But even since then he'd come a long way. The man standing in front of her now exuded a controlled confidence, thoughtfulness, and an understanding of how to dress himself - a skill many men his age lacked.

He smiled as she met his dark eyes and he extended the delicate flower towards her. Their fingers brushed lightly as she took his gift, her face reddening into a blush. She suddenly felt like she had the first time she'd been alone with Jess, her stomach doing flip flops as he'd returned her stolen copy of _Howl_.

"This is too cheesy, isn't it?" Jess asked with a crinkle in his brow, uneasy at her silence.

"No," she reassured with a smile. "It's beautiful."

"It's no big deal, really," he said with a shrug. "I passed the flower shop on the way here..."

"Thank you. I love it." She looked down at the lily and suddenly felt inspiration. Holding the flower between her fingers, she snapped the stem.

"Ok," said Jess, confusion evident across his face. "So. Not a fan of lilies. I can go back for a rose?"

Rory chuckled as she raised the flower to her hair and secured it with one of her bobby pins. She did a little spin to show off her handy work. "There. Perfect. How does it look?"

"Beautiful," said Jess, taking in her twirling form. "Shall we?" He asked, extending his arm.

"We shall." Linking her arm with his.

"Bye, Lorelai," chuckled Jess at the woman not-so-inconspicuously trying to spy on the young couple from behind the closed door. The only answer was the crash of a coat rack.

"Hey, did you by any chance mention our dinner to anyone around town?"

"What? Me? No..."

"Rory."

"Ok. I _accidentally _told Miss Patty. But I didn't mean to! She just overheard me telling Lane - Wait. Why do you ask?"

"Because on my way over here I received six glares, four hushed whispers, two attempted high fives, and one death threat."

"Death treat?" Rory asked, sliding into the passenger seat of Jess' black sedan.

"Luke."

Rory couldn't hold back her grin as Jess started the engine and backed the black sedan out of the driveway.

* * *

The Mexican restaurant Jess had chosen for their dinner couldn't have been more perfect in Rory's opinion. The large open-air patio was adorned with torches, colorful lanterns, and candles on each table. A trio of musicians played softly, a warm breeze carrying their music into the night while a photographer snapped photos on a Polaroid camera for diners, Rory and Jess had stayed on topics thoroughly within their safety zones: books, music, movies, Luke, Lorelai, April. But over an order of flan and quite possibly one too many margaritas on Rory's part, the subject matter turned more personal.

"So when was the last time you dated?" Rory asked out of the blue.

Jess froze mid-bite and slowly lowered his spoon. Silent, he seemed to be having an inner debate with himself. Finally, he sighed and looked up a Rory.

"I guess it's about time we talked about that stuff. The last time I dated was right before I moved back here. I guess she was kind of the reason I moved back."

Rory was intrigued. His demeanor changed as he spoke of this mysterious ex girlfriend. Unable to censor herself, she had to know more.

"What was her name? What was she like?"

"Lola. Her name was Lola. She reminded me a lot of you actually. Smart. Beautiful. Heartbreaker." He smiled sadly at the last. "I guess I have a type, huh?"

She was sure he hadn't meant to stick the knife in her, but it hurt none the less. "What happened?" She asked, unsure of what else to say.

"We were together on and off for two years but we just couldn't make it work. We just could never get it right, y'know? She finally bailed on me. Moved out. And then started seeing someone almost right away." He shrugged, trying to minimize the hurt she still saw in his eyes. "What about you? What about the Blonde Dick at Yale?" He obviously wanted to change the subject and Rory was more than happy to oblige.

She regaled him with tales of her and Logan's demise and subsequent friendship, of Jeremy the bore, Drew the whore, and Michael the one that just wasn't right for her.

"So you are completely unattached?" Jess asked with what could only be classified as a smoldering look.

"Yes. And you?"

"Most assuredly."

After paying the bill, Jess reached across the table and took Rory's hand, rubbing his thumb lightly across her skin. Surprised at the action, she looked down and swore she could almost see the swirls of electricity Jess was tracing on the back of her hand. It was like the trail of light created by a sparkler on the fourth of July.

"Excuse me?" A voice startled them out of their moment. The couple looked up to find the photographer standing above them. "Would you like a keepsake photo?" She asked.

Rory looked over to Jess, sure he would decline but was surprised when he just shrugged and leaned across the table towards her. She looked at him quizzically as he gave her his patented lopsided smirk. ::_Flash_::

"Oops," apologized the photographer - who was clearly just a young employee with a camera - embarrassed. "I didn't mean to do that yet. Do you want me to take another one?"

"Nah. That one will be perfect." Jess said, turning his grin to the teenage girl, who never had a chance. Turning seven shades of red, she giggled as she handed the Polaroid to him. "Thanks."

"Um. Ah. You're welcome. Have a nice night." And with that, the girl scurried off, stealing one last glance as she set back to snapping photos.

Rory just shook her head in disbelief at the power of the Jess Mariano smirk. "That thing is downright dangerous."

* * *

The drive back to Stars Hollow was a quiet one, the radio on low volume playing some Indie band she'd never heard before. She closed her eyes, enjoying not only the soundtrack but also her proximity to the sublimely sexy man driving her home. _Wait? _Eyes popping open. _Home? I'm not ready to go home yet._

"So, um," Rory cleared her throat. "As you well know, if you keep going straight, we will eventually end up back at my mother's house."

"Yeah. I think I might remember that."

"Right. So then you also know that if you make a right up here, we will end up back at the diner."

"Mhmm."

"So, all I'm saying is, if you want to take a right, then I would be OK with that. Because, I could, um, go for some coffee."

Jess said nothing, looking at Rory out of the corner of his eye. She looked beautiful, more beautiful than he had ever seen her. He knew that she wanted him to take her back to the diner and that coffee wasn't exactly what she wanted. They'd been dancing around each other for weeks, the sexual tension between them was tangible. But then again, it always had been. As they neared the turn that would take them back to the diner, Jess flipped his turn signal. He saw a smile form on Rory's face.

As they pulled up to the diner and parked, Jess hopped out first to open Rory's door. Hand in hand, they walked into the dark diner. Jess relaxed his grip and walked towards the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee.

"Do you have a coffee maker upstairs?" Rory asked.

Jess popped his head out of the kitchen. "Yep."

"Maybe we should just have some upstairs. I wouldn't want to make a mess or anything down here."

"That's very thoughtful of you."

"Yeah, I thought so."

"C'mon," said Jess, nodding his head in the direction of the stairs.

Walking into the small apartment, Jess clicked on a small lamp and headed towards the kitchenette. He placed a filter and coffee grounds into the coffee maker, filled it with water, and pushed the start button. As the pot began to bubble and brew, he turned around to see Rory perched on the countertop, her eyes running the length of his body.

He walked towards her, entwining his fingers with hers when they were close enough. She pulled him in close. He was pressed up against the counter top, nestled between her legs.

Looking up at her, he reached up and stroked the side of her face. As she turned her head towards his caress, he ran his thumb across her forehead, down the bridge of her nose, and over her lips. He let his thumb linger on her lower lip, pulling it down ever so slightly as he inched forward.

As he slowly closed the gap, Rory thought her heart might beat right out of her chest with anticipation. His eyes were locked with hers, searching for any sign that she wasn't ready. Rory closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, feeling the heat of his lips dangerously close to hers. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Jess gently removed his thumb from her lip and pressed his mouth against hers.

_He tastes like autumn. _Rory thought incoherently.

She ran her fingers through his hair as they deepened their kiss, slowly at first but with a growing intensity. Eventually, her hands worked their way down from his hair to his torso, exploring the sinewy muscles hiding under his shirt. Unsatisfied with the barrier, she began to unbutton the linen. Jess pulled away, lifting her chin with his forefinger so her eyes could meet his.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Simple. To the point. Drunk with lust.

Jess met her lips again, this time there was no slow precursor. The kiss was rough and full of need. Rory hastily unfastened the last button on his shirt and removed the offending item of clothing, moving her lips down to his neck and chest. She traced circles across his nipples with her tongue and watched as his skin erupted in goosebumps. His muscles taut and his breathing heavy, he lifted Rory off the counter with ease and she closed her legs around him, gripping tightly.

Making it only a few steps towards the bed, he pressed her back up against a bookshelf. She gasped as she felt a hard heat push against her center. Behind her closed eyes she could see an explosion of colors and her breathing turned ragged.

And then her world dissolved into nothing but electricity and fire and Jess.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**Ever After You**  
_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Nine  
**

Rory awoke to the sound of rain tapping against a nearby window and felt a heavy weight pressing up against her back. Figuring Lorelai had snuck into her bed, as she sometimes did when Rory was home, she gently rolled over to push her mother to the other side of the bed. Responding to the pressure, Lorelai rolled over in her sleep, letting out a deep groan.

Rory's eyes popped open at the unfamiliar sound and she was disoriented to find that she wasn't in her bed at all. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she began to realize she was actually in the apartment above the diner and that the person sharing the bed with her was not her mother but Jess. A soundly sleeping and at least half-naked Jess, she noticed, as the bed sheet rested dangerously low on his exposed torso. Despite the darkness, she felt herself turn red in shame. She felt like she couldn't breathe as her chest tightened with anxiety and her mind began to race. _Oh god._ _I'm going to hurt him all over again._ She looked at the beautiful man sleeping peacefully next to her and resolved that she couldn't put him through any more pain.

Rory swung her legs over the side of the bed and quietly placed her feet on the hardwood. She spotted her dress and shoes across the apartment and felt her blush deepen, embarrassed by last night's lust. She tiptoed towards the crumpled silk and pulled it over her head, feeling considerably less angelic than when she'd first donned the garment. As she bent down to grab her sandals she became aware of rustling from the bed and heard Jess' slow, even breathing change cadence.

"You're leaving?" Rory froze and turned to face Jess, confusion as clear as day on his face. She simply nodded as he lifted himself out of bed and walked towards her. She averted her gaze from his near-nakedness.

"Why?"

"I just… I can't."

"Can't? Can't what? You're going to have to do better than that, Rory. Now tell me; why are you leaving?" Despite his growing agitation, his tone was still gentle, as if he were trying to soothe a wild animal with only the sound of his voice.

"We don't…" She paused, attempting to collect her anxious and erratic thoughts. "We just don't work, Jess. We never have."

"I think last night would prove otherwise." Pain was becoming evident on his face and Rory had to look away again. Somewhere deep down she'd known she would hurt him again. She did it to everyone. Dean, Jess, Logan, Michael. She mentally began to rebuild the walls Jess had been tearing down since she'd moved back to Stars Hollow. She had to do something to take away the pain that now rested heavily on Jess' furrowed brow. Anger seemed like the only option as Rory took a breath, stared hard into his eyes, and pushed Jess away the only way she knew how.

"Last night was just the culmination of years of repressed lust. It meant nothing." She knew every word was a lie and yet she let the harsh words fall from her lips, a waterfall of cruelty.

"You're lying." Eyes hard. He knew it too. "I deserve better than this and so do you. You _know_ we're right for each other. We always have been." Rory could do nothing but stand silently, mentally cramming her emotions into an iron-clad box and pushing it into a river of denial. _Sleep with the fishes._

But that wasn't good enough for Jess.

"Say something, Rory," he pushed. "Say anything. You know I'm right!" Rory couldn't help but notice the irony of her situation. She'd always thought Jess was the emotionally unavailable one.

"I can't."

"Can't what? _What?_ Why are you so afraid to feel something?" Silence. "Rory, it's me and you. Just talk to me." His voice had returned to the gentleness of a horse whisperer.

"I just… I can't do this. I'm sorry."

And just like that, Jess shut down right before her eyes, a wall of apathy replacing his pain. "You know what, Rory? I've always known you were a lot of things. I just didn't realize coward was one of them." Rory fought back tears. _No. No. No. No crying._ "I don't understand why you can't let yourself be happy. I know you want this. Deep down, I know you do. Just go. I can't look at you right now."

Rory gathered her purse and walked towards the door, her hand pausing on the knob. _Do something! _Her heart seemed to yell from somewhere deep within her chest but it was muffled by a conscience much closer to the surface. _Leave now! You're just going to hurt him again. That's how you operate._ Her heart and her head had only a moment to battle before Jess reached over her shoulder to turn the handle.

"I'm not going to fight for you this time," he whispered in her ear. With that he handed her the jacket he'd had with him that night and pulled open the door. "No reason to ruin your dress in the rain. Just give the jacket to Luke and he'll get it back to me." He avoided her eyes. "Bye, Rory."

Walking home in silence, Rory clung to the jacket draped over her shoulders. Though it was summer, the rain had brought with it a chill and she shivered in the cool air. She wiped the wetness from her face, unsure if it was only rain or if the tears had come. _This is for the best_. She kept telling herself, steeling her resolve.

Rory continued her inner debate all the way back to the house now occupied by Luke and Lorelai. With all the zeal of a classic-movie zombie, she pushed her way into the house, shuffled wearily through the kitchen, and flopped down on her bed. The clock on the nightstand read 4:16 a.m. and glowed gloomily in the darkness. Tired of staring at the ceiling, she attempted to will herself to sleep by squeezing her eyes shut. She wasn't sure when she finally succumbed to sleep but she did know that the sun was well on its way to rising and that she'd lost count of all the sheep she had numbered.

When full morning finally came, Rory woke just enough to find herself in an empty house. Thankful for the solitude, she rolled over onto her stomach and buried herself under her pillow and blanket, pleading with whatever higher power was out there that last night had just been a bad dream.

**A/N: **I SINCERELY apologize for the time between updates. I wrote this chapter several times and deleted it because I wasn't happy with it. Some of you were concerned with the lack of emotional connection in the last chapter and this chapter was why. I need Rory to go through a journey before she can really let herself be happy. From this point on, Rory needs to figure out just what the hell she wants. Thanks for taking this journey with us! New update to come soon!


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **If anyone is interested in my "soundtrack" to this story, I'll post the link on my profile.

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**Ever After You**  
_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Ten  


* * *

**

Foul would be an accurate way to describe Rory's mood when she woke up that afternoon for the third time in the last 12 hours. Muscles sore and head pounding, she dragged herself to the shower. Perched directly under the shower head she allowed herself to simply stand under the hot water, letting it run the length of her body in hopes it would erase all traces of his scent and with it, the memory of his fingertips and lips tracing invisible patterns across her flesh. Despite the heat of the water, Rory's skin erupted into goose bumps at the memory.

"_Wow." A nearly-breathless Rory sighed as let her head fall to the nearest pillow for support. _

"_Yeah. Wow is right." Jess agreed as he wrapped his strong arms around her torso and pulled, so her back rested against his chest. It was firm and sinewy and felt warm against her alabaster coolness. He mindlessly ran his fingertips up and down her arm. _

"_You're so… um… flexible. Where did you learn to do that? Wait. No. Don't tell me. I shouldn't have asked that. Oh, god, that was so inappropriate." Rory buried her face into the pillow in humiliation as Jess laughed at her sudden awkwardness. _

"_No. Rory. It's OK," he said between belly laughs. "I'll tell you but you have to promise you won't make fun of me." _

"_You know I can't promise that."_

"_Well then I guess you don't get to know."_

"_Fine. I don't want to know anyway."_

"_Great." Jess buried his smirk in Rory's hair, pressed a kiss to her shoulder, and silently counted. _Three, two, one.

"_Jess! Tell me!"_

"_Then promise me."_

"_OK, fine. I _promise _I won't make fun of you."_

"_Yoga." _

"_What?" Rory couldn't have been more surprised if he'd said he was a superhero. _

"_Yeah, after I moved to California. Jimmi's girlfriend Sasha was all 'new agey' and into yoga and she somehow talked me into doing it with her one day. I actually liked it," he explained with a shrug. "Made me strong. Helped me focus. So yeah, I do yoga sometimes now."_

"_What… like Madonna?" Rory asked in a teasing tone. _

"_Rory." Jess warned._

"_So does that mean you like to walk around in tight muscle tees and tanks like Sting?" Wide-eyed and innocent._

"_That's it!" In one fluid motion, Jess rolled on top of Rory and pinned her down. "What are you going to do now, Gilmore? Ticklish?"_

"_You wouldn't!" Squealed Rory, who was trying to wriggle herself free._

"_Oh, I would." And with that, Jess launched into a full-scale attack as Rory dissolved into screams and giggles. _

With an abrupt coldness Rory was jerked out of her daydream as she was accosted by a shower of frigid water. Squirming out of the icy stream, she let out a cry and fumbled for the faucet. She hadn't realized she'd been staring off into space so long as to run out the water heater. Shivering, she wrapped herself in a towel and tromped to her room, in an even worse mood than she'd been in before her shower – a feat which had seemed highly unlikely until that point.

In an attempt to lift her spirits, Rory pushed shuffle on her mp3 player and went through the motions of toweling off, getting dressed and drying her hair. But through some demented twist of fate, every song that played only served to either remind her of Jess (for instance, Aretha Franklin's version of "I've Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" followed directly by Grizzly Bear ) or songs in which the lyrics completely resonated with her current mental state (Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman"). _Thanks, Bobby. I know I "broke just like a little girl." _

"Argh!" Growled Rory, pushing the forward button yet again. The next song, a usually-soothing tune by Joseph Arthur called "Honey and the Moon", did little to ease her troubled mind, despite the gentle guitar strumming.

"_Don't know why I'm still afraid  
If you weren't real I would make you up  
now  
I wish that I could follow through  
I know that your love is true  
And deep  
As the sea  
But right now  
Everything you want is wrong,  
And right now  
All your dreams are waking up,  
And right now  
I wish I could follow you  
To the shores  
Of freedom,  
Where no one lives."_

"Damnit. Damnit. Damnit." Rory angrily shut the music off, grabbed her purse and, after a moment of contemplation, reached for the leather jacket that had protected her from the rain last night. Checking her cell, she saw she had missed calls from both her mother and Lane, undoubtedly wanting all the details of her evening. Not quite ready to relive it all yet, Rory flipped open her phone and made a call to the only safe place she could think of where she wouldn't be asked about Jess – a place she hadn't visited on a Friday night in a very long time.

* * *

The mansion was still as vast and impersonal as she remembered with its stone fountain and immaculate landscaping. Though she'd visited as often as possible since she'd moved from Stars Hollow to cover the Obama campaign trail, she hadn't been able to frequent Hartford as much as her grandparents would have hoped, resulting in Rory being treated more and more like Lorelai with every visit. She'd never fully repaired the relationship with her grandparents (well, mostly her grandmother) that had been strained when Rory had moved out and returned to her mother and Yale – add in the time between visits and the infrequent calls and you've got Emily Gilmore and her famous disapproval. So it was out of great desperation that Rory found herself at the mercy of her grandparents for a Friday Night Dinner.

Stepping out of the car, she couldn't help but remember the last night ever she'd left the older Gilmore's abode as a resident. She could almost see Jess by the fountain in a crouched stance, throwing pebbles up at her window. A gesture normally seen as overly romantic, somehow it came off as a natural occurrence at the hands of Jess Mariano. He'd started like a colt though when she'd walked out the front door and busted him in his sneaky endeavor.

She couldn't help but smile at the memory. That night, Jess had saved her life. He'd helped her right the ship. She had been giving excuse after excuse to anyone who would listen but he wouldn't hear any of it. He'd called her out on living with her grandparents, working for the D.A.R, and for leaving Yale. No one else but Jess could or would have gotten through to her. He was the only one. Her smile began to falter as she questioned her decision to push him away for the umpteenth time.

Determined not to let herself fall into even deeper of a funk, she marched up to the tall wooden door and knocked. And knocked again. And finally rang the doorbell. A maid Rory didn't recognize (shocker) finally answered the door with Emily close behind.

"Really, Marta. I don't understand what is so difficult about answering the door in a timely manner," Emily spouted off at the frightened-looking maid.

"Please come in," said Marta meekly before standing in the foyer awkwardly between the two women.

After a moment an exasperated Emily huffed at Marta. "I guess _I'll_ put her jacket in the closet. Please go check on dinner, Marta." The young maid all but ran towards the kitchen.

Turning to Rory, the elder Gilmore appraised Rory's appearance with pursed lips. "Have you joined a biker gang since the last time I saw you?"

"What?"

"You're wearing a biker jacket. One can only _assume_ you've joined a motorcycle gang." If Emily's disapproval could have manifested itself physically, it would have been suffocating Rory at that moment, probably with pursed lips too.

"Oh. Um… leather jackets are all the rage in New York," Rory lamely tried to explain, unconsciously holding the jacket tighter.

"Well, be that as it may, I'm going to need you to run upstairs and change into something a little less casual," said Emily taking in Rory's lightweight button-down and khakis. "You should still have some dresses upstairs in your old room."

"I'm sorry, Grandma, but why do I need to change?"

"Because, Rory, we're having company over tonight, as we do every Friday night." Emily spoke in an irritated tone that suggested Rory should have inherently known this information already. "What? You didn't think we would stop entertaining people on Friday's just because you and your mother don't come by often anymore?"

"Of course not, Grandma. I'll go upstairs and change." After years and years, Rory knew when to pick her battles when it came to her grandmother. This particular situation was not one of those times.

"There's some make-up and a curling iron in the bathroom too." Rory just shook her head at the not-so-subtle dig and proceeded into the house, but not before Emily stopped her and demanded the offending jacket be stowed in the closet.

Entering her old room was like going through a time warp. The room was virtually untouched and was still decorated as it had been when Rory lived there – Emily Gilmore's hand-picked boy band posters and all. The closet was mostly bare, as Rory had taken most of her clothing with her, but there were still a couple of dresses and pant suits to choose from. Deciding on white sundress splashed with a tasteful floral pattern, Rory headed to the bathroom to sweep on some makeup and fix her hair. As she took in her appearance, she realized why her grandmother had been so insistent that she change and fix herself up; Rory looked as awful as she felt. Her hair was a mess from driving with the windows down, her lips were rough from anxious nibbling, and the delicate skin below he eyes were marred with dark circles. _Yikes. _

Rory let the curling iron heat up as she expertly applied concealer, mascara, a healthy amount of lip balm, and a touch of blush to finish. It took about twenty minutes to make herself Grandmother-approved (and about twenty more minutes of stalling) but in the end, she at least felt a little better than she had before making the adjustments. As she descended the staircase, she heard unfamiliar voices in the study – undoubtedly the guests there for cocktail hour. Walking into the study, the older couple chatting on the couch with her grandparents looked vaguely familiar.

"Oh, Rory!" Said her grandfather, standing up to envelop her into a hug. "I'd like you to meet the DuGrey's. You might remember their son, Tristan. It seems as though you two went to Chilton together."

Thoroughly in shock, it took Rory a moment to notice the tall blond man standing at the bar with his back to the group, making drinks. In what seemed like slow motion, the man turned to face her. His blond hair was shorter and darker than she remembered and he had filled out considerably since high school, but it was definitely her old nemesis, Tristan DuGrey.

With the same twinkle in his eye, Tristan caught Rory's gaze, gave her a wink, and mouthed, "Hey, Mary."

**A/N 2: **Oh, Tristan! Just what are you trying to do to our poor Rory? Are you going to help or hinder? You'll just have to wait to find out!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. I really, really appreciate it. Reviews help the story get written faster; it gives us poor starving artists motivation to write. Seriously. Putting my writing out there for people to read is a new thing for me so I am sincerely appreciative to all who have taken the time to not only read but also review. OK. Enough sappy stuff. Onto the story. **

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**Ever After You**  
_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Eleven

* * *

**

Unsure how to react, Rory could do nothing but gape at her former nemesis in silence. His smirk was still infuriating. It was the absolute antithesis of a Jess smirk. Where a Jess smirk had always and would always make her weak in the knees, Tristan's served only to make her blood boil. She'd really thought that her mood couldn't have been fouler that day. She had assumed incorrectly.

A martini in one hand and a scotch neat in the other, Tristan crossed the distance between them and with a grin offered her a libation. "Martini?" He asked, stretching the cocktail towards her.

An angry retort was on the tip of her tongue but she managed to stop it from passing through her lips when she remembered where she was and with what company. She reluctantly plastered smile on her face and "graciously" accepted his offering.

"Why thank you, Tristan. This is such a surprise. So good to see you." Politely, Rory leaned forward for the obligatory one-armed embrace and light kiss on the cheek. Glancing over his shoulder, Rory saw her grandmother practically glowing and sharing knowing glances with Tristan's mother. Rory's heart dropped – and her stomach slightly retched – when she realized she'd walked right into a set-up. _Awe, man. I really _am _off my game today. _

"Good to see you too Rory," said Tristan, releasing her from what Rory felt was entirely too long an embrace. "You're looking beautiful as ever."

Narrowing her eyes, Rory declined to respond – mostly for fear of what she would say in front of present company – and instead tilted her glass towards him in cheers and took a sip.

As the elders returned to their pre-dinner small talk, Rory pulled Tristan to the nearest corner of the room.

"Deep, dark corners, huh, Mary? I didn't think you had it in you. Though I do feel a little uncomfortable making out with you with our families in the room... but what the hell, you only live once." Tristan slowly began to lean towards Rory before she landed a solid punch on his shoulder.

"Well that was unnecessary," he complained, rubbing his soon-to-be-bruised bicep. "I was just joking. Not even I have the stones to plant a kiss on you in front of Emily Gilmore. Her tongue lashings are the stuff of legend."

Ignoring his explanation, Rory summoned her most powerful withering stare and let it loose on an unsuspecting Tristan. "What are you doing here?" She questioned in a harsh whisper. "Was this set-up your idea?"

Realizing that Rory wasn't in the mood for his games, Tristan dropped the act. "Don't flatter yourself, Mary. Of course this wasn't my idea. I didn't even know you were going to be here until after I'd already walked through the front door. This was obviously manufactured by my mother and your grandmother. Though seeing your reaction when you realized it was me was a hell of a bonus."

"Still with the Mary thing?"

"Just like old times." He sighed with a smile.

"God. Dealing with you is the last thing I needed today," frowned Rory, her false bravado crumbling.

"Bad day at the office, dear?" Tristan joked, though genuine concern rested on his brow.

"You could say that. And being under the microscope by our lovely studio audience just makes it that much better." Rory shook her head bitterly.

"Well then let's get out of here."

"What?" Rory hissed. "Tristan, no. We can't just leave."

"Emily. Richard." Tristan called out in his most polite rhetoric. "Would you mind if Rory and I go for a walk around the grounds? It's such a lovely night."

"Oh! Of course not. You two take as much time as you'd like," responded a proud-looking Daughter of the American Revolution. Rory appraised her grandmother from across the room, knowing full well that Emily was, at that very moment, picking out colors and china patterns for a spring DuGrey-Gilmore wedding. Despite her growing agitation, Rory played the part of ingénue to a tee, coyly smiling and looking down demurely.

"Grab your keys," whispered Tristan, placing his hand on the small of Rory's back and directing her to the vestibule.

Channeling her inner Lane Kim, Rory stealthily removed both the leather jacket and her purse from the closet without so much as a floor creek or squeak of a door hinge. It was only when they had both reached the freedom of the front stoop that Rory allowed herself to let out the breath she'd been holding. "So now what?" she questioned with a tilted head.

"Now we get far, far away from here. Toss me the keys."

"No way. My car. I drive."

"Trust me, Mary, I'm a much more polished getaway driver than you. Besides, you owe me for getting you out of there."

"You do have a point on that last one there. Ok fine. But if you drive us to some sleazy strip club, we're going to have problems." Rory warned as she tossed the keys into Tristan's waiting hands.

* * *

The pub was packed as Rory and Tristan navigated their way through the rowdy Friday night crowd. Gesturing Rory to a recently-vacated table, Tristan stopped off at the bar to grab drinks while Rory went ahead to secure their spot. As she plopped down into the booth, it was only then that the adrenaline of sneaking out of Friday Night Dinner finally subsided. Letting her gaze fall to her accomplice, who was headed to the table with a pitcher of beer and two mugs in tow, she felt practically giddy. Drained as emotionally as she'd ever been, Rory began to chuckle – with those chuckles quickly turning into laughs. Tristan appraised her warily as he sat the pitcher down and began to fill the mugs.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh... Nothing…" Rory managed between belly laughs. "This is just the last place I expected to be tonight. And with you of all people. " Tears began to pour down her face as her laughs transformed into sobs.

"Woah. Mary. Breathe. What's the matter? Did I do something? I'll take you back if you want me to." Tristan looked around nervously, aware of the attention his companion's sobs were attracting.

"What the hell is wrong with me? I just left him. God, that look on his face… How could I hurt him like that?" Rory wailed, dropping her head onto the table and into her folded arms.

A look of understanding passed through Tristan's eyes as listened to Rory's tearful soliloquy. Silently he stood up, walked to the bar and returned minutes later with two full shot glasses.

"Mary. Look at me. Hey, earth to Rory!" A tearful Rory looked up at the man sitting across from her. "Here, drink this. This is my friend Jack; he'll help you work through the pain." Tristan pushed the shot across the table. Reluctantly, Rory lifted the glass to examine its amber contents.

"To love." He said simply, raising his glass towards her. "Even when it tears your heart out."

"To love," Rory parroted, unconvinced, as she clicked his shot with her own and downed the Tennessee whisky. "Oh, god, it burns." She coughed wildly, clutching at her throat.

Setting his glass on the table, Tristan just smiled wistfully, enjoying the fire making its way down his throat, and responded, "Ain't that the truth."

* * *

"So, what's with the waterworks?" Tristan asked after Rory finally composed herself minutes later.

"What? Me? Nothing. I'm fine. Just fine."

"Really? Cause those tears you just cried into your beer are telling a different story."

Deflated, Rory dropped the act and stared miserably into her beverage, now salty with tears.

"I'm so messed up. Like, on a monumental level."

"Ok. Now we are getting somewhere. I'm guessing from your earlier rant this has to do with a guy?"

"Not just a guy. THE guy."

"Surely you don't mean that Sasquatch-looking dude you used to date in high school, right? What was his name? Dane? Doug? Dopey? It was Dopey, wasn't it?"

Rory couldn't help but chuckle at Tristan's attempt to cheer her up. "No, this has nothing to do with _Dean_. "

"Dean, huh? I could have sworn it was Dopey. Can I just call him Dopey? It will be easier that way."

Rory rolled her eyes in response. "Go nuts."

"Great. So if it wasn't Dopey then who was it?"

"Jess."

"Jess. OK. So what happened with Jess?"

"There's really no easy answer to this one."

"Humor me."

"OK. Well, to make a long story short. I completely freaked out. I thought I could handle being with him again – I thought it was what I wanted – and I just realized that I would inevitably hurt him. So I bailed."

"You bailed?"

"Yeah, at about 4 in the morning after we… um…" Rory looked down, embarrassed.

"Ah." Tristan replied, comprehending her omission.

"Yeah. We after we ah'd."

"Because you thought you'd hurt him? How uh, noble of you?"

"I did was I thought was best."

"You sure you didn't do it because you thought he'd be the one who hurt you?"

"No. Well, maybe. I don't know. I just started thinking about how we always hurt each other in the past no matter how much we cared about one another and I was thinking –"

"Wait, wait, wait. That was your first mistake right there. Love isn't about thinking, Mary. It's about how you _feel_. Obviously, you feel pretty strongly for the guy, right?"

"You could say that."

"Then that is all you need to know. It doesn't matter what happened in your past… unless he beat you or cheated on you or something. Did he do something like that? Because you just say the word and I'll have him taken out. No questions asked."

"No! No. Nothing like that. I think it would take way too long to hash out the details of Jess and mine's tangled history."

"We've got time." Tristan said, pushing the beer mug towards her. "Let's get all Dr. Phil up in this bitch."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Just a reminder, large amounts of text in italics represents a past event.

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**Ever After You**  
_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Twelve

* * *

**

_It was an unusually hot and humid summer afternoon in New England. The air was thick and heavy and her decision to congregate outside seemed like one of the more stupid ideas Rory had had in recent years. After the fourth sweat drop rolled off her forehead and splashed onto the pages of her book, she resigned her usual spot on the bridge and racked her brain for cooler accommodations. Luke's would be too loud. Weston's wouldn't provide the right atmosphere. The music store would have been fine if not for the fact that Lane would undoubtedly want to chat (and Rory was seriously invested in her book). Not ready to return home yet either, Rory made a bee line for Andrew's book store. It was quiet, had perfect ambiance, and anyone in there would be perfectly content to let her read in peace. It was a win-win-win situation. _

_The book store's air conditioning welcomed her like a long-lost friend when she pushed open the heavy glass door and the bell above the door greeted her almost as happily as Andrew, who smiled warmly at one of his best customers. "Rory," he nodded._

"_Hey Andrew. I'm just looking for a quiet, cool place to read."_

"_Go right ahead. You're always welcome."_

"_Thanks. You won't even know I'm here."_

_Wandering through the stacks, Rory navigated her way to her favorite corner of the tiny book store. Nestled between a wall of Literature and a section of Biographies, Rory had always gravitated towards that space. After weaving her way through the Poetry and History sections (with a few stops along the way obviously) she finally stepped out towards her corner – only to find it already inhabited by a certain dark-haired author. Jess, with his nose buried in a Moleskine notebook, scribbled onto the pages feverishly. He was bobbing his head to the music pouring loudly out of his earphones. Rory thought it sounded like The Distillers, but she wasn't sure. _

_As if sensing a shift in the energy around him, Jess looked up and jumped –startled by the appearance of someone in his immediate space. "Geez, Rory! Way to sneak up on a person!" he shouted loudly over the music still pounding in his ears. _

_With a laugh, Rory lifted her eyebrows in her best Jess Mariano impression and pointed towards her ear._

_After a moment of confusion an embarrassed-looking Jess jerked the buds from his ears, flinching momentarily at the discomfort. _

"_Well if you weren't listening to your music as loud as I'd imagine a nearly-deaf person does, maybe you wouldn't be so surprised to see me." _

"_No way. Brody Armstrong can only be appreciated at max volume; I think that's a law in the continental US," Jess explained of The Distillers front woman. _

"_If you insist." Rory shrugged. "So what are you working on?" She asked, dropping down beside him and leaning to look over at his notebook._

"_Nothing really," he responded, closing the thick notepad hastily. "I was in here checking out the new shipment of books when inspiration hit. I didn't have my laptop with me so I bought something to write in."_

"_Can I see what you were writing?"_

"_Nope."_

"_How did I know you were going to say that?"_

"_I dunno, Ms. Cleo, you must have psychic powers or something."_

"_Ladies and gentlemen, he'll be here all week." Rory delivered aloud to an invisible audience. Suddenly, a wicked idea popped into her head as she picked up her book and opened it, making sure Jess couldn't see the title. _

"_What are you reading?" He asked, craning his neck to get a look at the book's cover. _

"_Its the new Chuck Klosterman. Have you read it?" She asked, knowing full well that he hadn't – as just a week ago he'd been talking about how much he wanted to read the book._

_Jess practically salivated as he looked at her expectantly. "Not yet. Could I take a look at it?"_

"_Sure. Knock yourself out." As Rory extended the book towards him, he loosened his grip on the notebook he'd previously been clutching as if it were a Hemingway first edition. When he had Klosterman's latest collection of essays securely in his hands, Rory, with a speed she didn't know she had, swiped the Moleskine and jumped to her feet with a triumphant laugh. _

_Rory had only a moment to bask in her victory before Jess was on his feet as well. Attempting escape, she found, was futile as Jess' arms encircled her waist, stopping her forward momentum. Laughing loudly, Rory struggled to keep the notebook out of her attacker's grasp. His full body was pressed against her back as he reached for the kidnapped artifact. Wriggling out of his steely embrace, she turned towards him, holding the book behind her back. _

"_Rory," he warned playfully, his arms now reaching across her sides trying to snatch the book. She backed away from him slowly with a grin and he followed suit. The pair continued to laugh until, with a thump, Rory found herself backed in a corner against a tall bookcase. His lithe body was pressed up against hers as the air around them seemed to change. His face was inches from hers as they locked eyes, wild heartbeats replacing their laughter. Jess' hand rested on top of her own, which was still clutching the Moleskine behind her back. Rory was afraid to breathe as she was certain any movement would make reality come crashing down. Jess smoldered down at her and he subconsciously licked his lips. Was it just her imagination or was Jess leaning down towards her?_

"_AHEM." The pair jumped away from one another like magnets of the same polarity as Andrew came around the corner to scold them for their noisiness. "Could you guys keep it down? This is a bookstore not a 'Dave and Busters.'"_

"_Sorry," Rory stammered, eyes glued to the ground, as Andrew walked back to the front of the store. _

_Seeing an opportunity present itself, Jess snatched the notebook from Rory's loose grip. _

"_You look a little red there, Nortarbartolo, maybe thieving isn't in the cards for you." Jess' offhanded reference helped Rory calm her nerves as she focused her attention on anything but their previous close proximity. _

"_Nortarbartolo?"_

"_You don't know who Leonardo Notarbartolo is?" he asked incredulously. "The Antwerp Diamond Hesit?" She shook her head no. "And you call yourself a journalist. Let's go, Gilmore, you are going to love this."

* * *

_

"Rory. Hey, Rory, you alive over there?" She was shaken out of her daydream by Tristan, who had just returned from the bathroom. "Where did you go just then? You looked like you were about a million miles away."

Rory shook her head, as if maybe the physical act would clear her head like an etch-a-sketch (no such luck). She frowned irrationally as she accepted the fact she wasn't back in the bookstore with Jess but rather sitting in a pub with Tristan DuGrey, filling him in on the sordid details of the Jess/Rory saga.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got lost in thought is all. Rehashing all that stuff about Jess and me opened up some kind of floodgate. I can't seem to stop myself from thinking about him."

"Well, as much as it sucks, it's better than holding it all in and over analyzing it. Pro/Con lists and such…."

"Hey! I told you that in confidence. You're not allowed to mock me for my Pro/Con lists. That was the rule!"

Tristan raised his arms in surrender as he slid back down into his chair. "Secret's safe with me."

"Why are you being so nice to me? You hated me in high school."

"Actually _you_ hated _me_ in high school. A subtle but important difference, Mary. I was just a poor misunderstood coed."

"Oh please. You made my life miserable when we went to school together."

"Well, then let's call this my way of repenting for my sins."

"And that's it? No ulterior motives?"

"Let's just say I've been in your shoes before and it ended badly for me. I don't want to see that happen again to anyone."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe someday, but not right now. This is a Rory and Jess brainstorming meeting only. No new items on the agenda."

"Well, then I think I'm going to call this meeting adjourned. I can't take much more of this maelstrom of emotion tonight."

"I think that is a smart plan. Oh and by the way, your grandmother is all taken care of. I told her your started feeling sick while we were walking around so I took you home."

"And she bought it?"

"I can be very convincing," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I have no doubt. You ready to go? I can take you home."

"Actually, I'll just take a cab, there is some major talent by the bar over there." Rory followed Tristan's gaze to a group of college-age girls congregating by the bar. She just smiled and shook her head in mock disbelief.

"Have fun, Tristan. And on a serious note, thank you. I honestly don't know how I would have made it through tonight without you."

"Don't get sappy on me, Mary. Or should I call you Maggie now?"

"Maggie?"

"Short for Mary Magdalene. I don't think I can keep calling you Mary anymore... at least not the Virgin Mary. That's a bit of a misnomer now, huh?"

"And the world makes sense again."

Just before Tristan turned to lay his game down on the group of unsuspecting women, he stopped and enveloped Rory into a hug. "You know what to do, Rory. Just be brave and step out of your head every once in awhile, OK? Figure out how you feel and tell him. It's that easy." And with that heartfelt advice, he stepped away from her and gave her a wink.

"See ya around, Maggie."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **A VERY SPECIAL "thank you" goes to Andra-ggfan (Adie, you rock!) for helping me through a particularly awful case of writers block. And also for giving me the idea of having Rory revisit a special place from her past. Thanks to her (any my new power cord for my comp so I actually write again) this story feels back on track. So thanks, Adie! And again, thanks to everyone for reading and sorry for the delay. The end is near-ish! Don't forget to review!

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**Ever After You**

_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Thirteen**

**

* * *

**

Stepping out into the night Rory wrapped herself in the leather jacket, holding it tightly against her skin. Dropping her head slightly, she buried her nose in the soft leather and inhaled deeply. The scent that clung to it was still spicy and strong and thoroughly Jess but underneath was just a hint of Rory's sweet shampoo and perfume. Maybe it was just the alcohol but the mixing of the two scents hit Rory as the most poetic thing she had ever let herself acknowledge. She let herself be enveloped in the feeling as she made her way back to her car. When she was finally situated in her vehicle, seat belt buckled, key in the ignition, Rory suddenly realized she had no idea what she was going to do. Thanks to her dashboard clock, she knew it was already 2 a.m. and the drive back to Stars Hollow wasn't exactly quick. It would be way too late to talk to Jess tonight and she really didn't want to go home either; Lorelai and Lane would want full details of her date and Rory just wasn't mentally prepared to have yet another heart-aching talk about Jess. Just the thought of it made her physically exhausted. Sighing, she pulled the key from the ignition and dropped her seat back. She was too tired to even think about driving anywhere right now. Maybe if she closed her eyes for just a minute, she'd be able to clear her head and figure out a plan...

A loud rap on the window jolted her out of a deep sleep. Squealing with fright she bolted upright, managing to bang her knee on the steering wheel and lay on the horn in one ungraceful movement. She was confused by the light pouring in through her windows as she squinted up at the man standing beside the driver's side door, peering in at her. Taking note of his officer's uniform, Rory smoothed her hair, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, stuck her key in the ignition and rolled down the window.

"Good morning, officer," she said with an attempt at chipperness.

"Morning, miss. Everything alright here?"

"Oh, yes sir. Absolutely. Never been better. It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?" She rambled nervously. _Shut up. Shut up. Shut up._

The officer, a large man with a belly drooping over his belt and graying hair, looked at her suspiciously as if deciding weather or not she was crazy. Eventually he decided that she must not have seemed dangerous. "Well, miss. We tend to discourage people from sleeping in their cars on the street - vagrants, you know - so I'm going to have to ask you to move along."

"Yes, sir. Of course sir. Thank you sir. Have a great day."

The cop gave her one last wary look and walked back to his squad car. Rory released a shaky breath and dropped her face in her hands in relief. After a moment, she adjusted her seat and turned they key in the ignition. She wasn't sure where she was headed but she sure as hell had to get out of Hartford. Seeing signs for the freeway, she made a snap decision and jumped on I-95 South.

Two hours later, Rory was navigating the crowded New York streets in search of a public parking lot. She felt strangely at home being back in New York. At that moment, she wasn't sure why she had left New York in the first place. It was a bustling city with so many kinds of people, places, and opportunities. Sure she missed her friends and family but it's not like a two hour drive could really keep Rory and Lorelai apart for any length of time. Looking to her left she saw the familiar white arches of Washington Square Park - where she had found Jess all those years ago on the day of Lorelai's graduation, the day she had skipped school. Then it hit her. Jess. He had been the catalyst. She had heard his voice on the phone that night she'd called to talk to her mom and she had made a spontaneous decision to move back home. To be near him.

As if by fate, a parking space opened up just down the street and she deftly maneuvered into the space. She slipped money, keys and a book in her jacket pockets and, after feeding the meter, ventured towards the park. It was just as she remembered: the beautiful stone arches, the wooden benches, the roaring water fountain. She realized she hadn't let herself visit Washington Square Park when she had actually lived in New York. It had always reminded her of Jess and the specific memory hadn't been one she'd wanted to revisit until now. But in that moment, it suddenly dawned on her that she hadn't hadn't been afraid to go after him then so why should she be afraid to go after him now? She had skipped school for goodness sake. Rory Gilmore had skipped school for Jess Mariano. If that hadn't been a sign of love, she didn't know what was. And her love for him had only grown since then. Even those years she'd been with Logan. Even those years she had pushed him deep into the recesses of her mind and hidden all evidence of him ever existing. She hadn't let him get away then and she sure as hell wouldn't let him get away now. She felt calm as she made her way over to the bench she had found him on all those years ago. She pulled the book from her pocket, a well-worn copy of _On the Road_ by Jack Kerouac, and settled into some reading that she new Mr. Mariano would be throughly proud of.

She spent most of the day wandering around New York - reading, eating, dropping by some of her former haunts and even making a stop outside the New York Times skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. _A girl can dream, can't she?_

By the time she finally departed the bustling city, it was dark and Rory knew she needed to get back to talk with Jess. Navigating back to I-95 ended up being easier said than done as a combination of road construction and typical New York City traffic left her stuck in the city hours beyond what she had anticipated. She grew more and more nervous as she waited in the stand still traffic, her nerves finally catching up to her. She'd spent all day planning out what she wanted to say to Jess and how she wanted to say it. She definitely had wanted to wait until the diner was closed as to capture his full and undivided attention but at this rate, the diner wouldn't only be closed but Jess could be asleep - and that man was usually hard to wake up. Finally unable to take it anymore, Rory slammed on the horn and spouted a line of curses that would make her grandmother shocked and her mother proud.

* * *

The deserted streets of Stars Hollow looked ominous and foreboding as Rory navigated the darkened town on autopilot – a side effect of so many years traveling the same route. The hours alone in the car had left her nothing but an overactive brain to keep her company - not the best copilot in these circumstances. White knuckled and heart pounding, she pulled her silver compact car around the next corner and parked to the side of the historical building that had once housed William's Hardware. She wasn't sure how long she sat alongside the darkened diner, attempting to slow her breathing from somewhere around "hyperactive hummingbird" down to that of a respectable large mammal. _Maybe a llama?_ Picturing herself as a furry, spitting quadruped, Rory giggled. The imagery was enough to break the palpable tension.

Her nerves finally in check, Rory stepped out into the warm summer night and walked around to the front of the building. The storefront revealed nothing but a pitch-black diner and not a soul in sight. The front door was locked, she noted with a frown as she stepped back, craning her neck to get a look at the window of the apartment. There was no glow of a reading lamp or TV and it was eerily quiet. When Jess was home, there was always some sort of noise, be it the punk-rock styling's of The Clash or a late-night infomercial ripe for mocking. Dropping her head in disappointment, she spotted a pebble at her feet and reached down to grasp it between her fingers, debating on whether or not to launch the smooth stone towards the second-story window. It was worth a shot, she decided with a shrug, and took aim at the small, glass target. Said aim, however, was less than perfect as the stone missile missed the window completely, ricocheted off the neighboring building and disappeared into the adjoining alley.

"Damn you, Lorelai," She cursed to no one in particular, angry at her mother for not only neglecting to make her participate in any hand-eye-coordination-enhancing sports but for also failing to pass on any natural athletic ability. Though Rory, wasn't sure her mother was actually possessed of any athletic ability - unless you counted competitive eating. In which case, Lorelai was sure to be internationally acclaimed.

As she turned she go, she suddenly remembered the key that used to be hidden above the door for emergencies. Standing on her tip toes, Rory reached above the door and felt around. Feeling the cool metal between her fingertips, she let out a "Yes!" and snatched it from its hiding place. She let her eyes adjust to the darkened diner as she slipped quietly through the door, locking it behind her. She made her way upstairs and into Jess' apartment. She clicked on a nearby lamp and squinted rapidly at sudden brightness. The apartment was empty. It was almost midnight and she hadn't planned on Jess not being there. Asleep, yes. Unhappy to see her, most definitely. But absent, no.

Searching for a place to sit she looked over at the hastily-made bed and blushed a deep shade of crimson. Opting instead for the couch, Rory took a seat and pulled out her book. He was going to talk to her wether he liked it or not.

She wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

**A/N 2:** pssst. heyy... see that review button down there? will you use it, pretty please? with Jess Mariano on top?


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **We are inching ever closer to the end. How are you guys enjoying this so far? I hope you are enjoying this ride as much as I am! Thanks again for reading! At the risk of sounding repetitive... PLEASE REVIEW!

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**Ever After You**

_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Fourteen

* * *

**

For the second time in as many days, Rory awoke in an unusual place with an uncomfortable crick in her neck and an angry-looking man starting down at her. Disoriented, she bolted upright, clutching the still-open book tightly to her chest. Upon further review, the man standing over her wasn't just angry; he was downright fuming. Hands crossed over his chest and eyes narrowed, Rory was sure she could see steam coming from his ears.

"Where the hell have you been?" His voice was controlled but dripping with ire.

"I, uh well…"

"Your mother has been worried sick. You couldn't have returned one of the dozen calls she made to you?"

As Rory pulled the phone out of her back pocket, it was only then she noticed that it was dead – and probably had been for some time. "Luke, I'm sorry. I didn't think – "

"No. You didn't. No one has seen or heard from you in days. How do you think that makes us feel? You could have been dead in a ditch somewhere!"

Rory slowly rose from the couch, taking in the man who, to her, had always been like father. His anger was finally giving way to relief now that he knew she was safe. As his furious façade crumbled, Rory was so touched she had to hold back the tears.

"Luke. Really, I'm so, so sorry. I was just waiting for Jess and I fell asleep. I never meant to make any one wor – _oof!_" She couldn't finish her apology as the big bear of a man enveloped her in a tight hug. Stunned only momentarily, Rory wrapped her arms around Luke and returned the embrace. What was it with the men in that family? On the exterior they were so gruff and yet soft like marshmallows on the inside.

"Luke," she coughed. "I think you are crushing my lungs." She took in a deep breath and Luke finally released her.

"Sorry. It's just that, you wouldn't pick up and Jess left town and turned his phone off so we had no idea what happened to you."

Rory felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Jess left town?"

"Yeah, his editor in Philly called. Some girl with an unusual name like Luna or Lela."

"Lola?" Rory asked, closing her eyes, silently hoping it wasn't the same girl Jess used to be involved with.

"Lola. Yeah, that was it. He's doing some book-reading event tonight. They liked his manuscript and they want to start promoting him? I'm not really positive. He's not exactly a wellspring of information."

"So he left… yesterday?"

"Yep. He left a fairly-cryptic message on the register with as few details as possible. "

"Did he mention where the book reading would be?" Rory mentally crossed her fingers. And her toes too for good measure.

"At that publishing house he used to work at. Trashcan?

"Truncheon," she corrected quietly. _Why can't anyone get that right?_

"Right. Truncheon. Wait, you didn't know he was going? I though you guys were…" Luke dropped off with embarrassment, unsure how to end the sentence.

"We got into a little tiff, is all. Nothing major." _Liar_. She chastised herself. And she could tell from the way Luke was studying her that he didn't believe her for an instant. Thankfully, he held his tongue and simply nodded.

"Well, I guess I should get going." She said with attempted coolness as she picked up her personal effects. Purse. _Check_. Book. _Check_. Jacket. _Hmmm_. She momentarily thought of handing over the leather jacket to return to Jess and started to extend it toward him but changed her mind at the last minute, swinging it over her shoulders and walking towards the door. _Check_.

"Hey, Rory," Luke called after her.

"Mmhmm?" She intoned, looking back at him over her shoulder.

"Whatever it is you're about to do, will you stop by the house and let your mom know you're OK first?"

Nodding, Rory smiled at the man who clearly loved her mother more than anything and hoped that she hadn't ruined her chance to have one of those gruff marshmallow men all to herself.

* * *

After stopping by the house to conciliate her mother, and somehow sidestep the barrage of questions that flew her way, Rory quickly freshened up, packed an overnight bag (just in case) and hit the road again. The four-hour drive to Philadelphia was nothing to scoff at but Rory was invigorated. She was determined to fix the damage she'd done and keep Jess from running back into the surely-awaiting arms of his ex-girlfriend Lola. "Lola?" She scoffed out loud. "Psh. Sounds like a vicious trollop's name to me."

As she drove, she tried not to think too much about the fact that tonight, for good or for bad, she would have an answer. Despite her best efforts, scenarios played in her head - some ending with a passionate kiss and others with her curled into the fetal position, people pointing and laughing maniacally at her. The closer she got to the publishing house, the more anxious she became. When she finally turned onto the street where Truncheon was located, she though she might explode from the anticipation. She found a spot relatively close to the building and gave herself one last pep talk as she pulled into the space. It was now or never.

With a deep breath, she walked towards the unassuming storefront. She was relieved to find that there was no bell above the door to signal her entrance. Slipping in, she closed the door quietly behind her and took in her surroundings. The bookshelf-lined room was mostly empty save for a trio of people by the wooden staircase. The group, which hadn't noticed her yet, consisted of a slightly-dopey but sweet-looking guy with light brown hair, an opinionated and well-spoken black guy and a drop-dead gorgeous woman with eye-catching red hair. She remembered the two men as Matthew and Chris, Jess' former partners. She didn't recognize the woman. She strained to hear the conversation that had the group so oblivious to her entrance.

"So everything is all set for tonight?" Matthew asked the vixen.

"Yep, the reading starts at 7 and he'll read a passage from his new novel as well as some from his older works. There should be a pretty decent crowd too. I really pulled some strings to make this happen." She responded.

"This is so awesome. One of our own is finally getting a shot. I knew that selling this place to a bigger company would be worth it. I mean, we still get to work here but we do more important things, we actually are making money and now Jess is getting his big break. Your help has been monumental, Lola."

Hearing the name and putting two and two together made Rory lose complete control of her motor functions. As she turned to rush back out the front door, she bumped into a bookshelf, bounced off said bookshelf and tripped over a book table, causing many of the volumes to fall loudly to the floor.

Finally aware of their guest, the group turned to see a red-faced Rory scrambling to place the books back up on the table.

"Is there something we can help you with?" Chris asked, walking towards her, eyes narrowed as if he was trying to place her.

"Uh, no. Thanks. I was here for the book reading but I guess I'm a little early." She let her hair fall in front of her ears in attempt to hide her face.

"Do I know you?" He was close enough to reach out and touch her now.

"No. No, I don't think so."

"Oh my god. It's you." Realization and anger filled his eyes. "I remember you. You're the girl that sent Jess off the deep end the last time you were here. Are you the reason he's been a monosyllabic jackass since he's been back?"

"My guess is yes," she responded quietly, dropping her head. "But that's why I'm here. I screwed up... again. And I want - no - _need to_ fix it."

Matthew and Lola walked up beside Chris. The former looked sympathetic and the latter simply stood stoically with her arms folded across her chest.

"You nearly killed him the last time you were here," Matthew accused with sadness evident in his voice. "He drank so much in the months following your little visit I thought he would end up dead or a mental institution."

"Oh my god. I - I had no idea. I know I hurt him... But I never meant to... I was just so screwed up at the time..." Rory couldn't help the tears that started to well in her eyes. She bit her lip to hold them back.

"He talked to me about you, you know." Lola said finally. She spoke unwaveringly but with a slight gentleness in her voice. "We were friends before we were ever together. And after as well."

"He told me about you too."

"Let's take a walk," Lola said with authority. "I think we need to have a heart-to-heart."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **I – unfortunately – do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. This story is for pure entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **Apologies for the time between updates these days (I feel like I say that a lot…) . But fear not, I PROMISE I will finish this story. I hadn't been feeling too creative lately and this was one chapter that I NEEDED to get right so I had to wait for my muse to come find me. I hope you guys have as much fun meeting the infamous Lola as I had writing her! Also, please feel free to leave comments… us neurotic writers love them… really, we do. DO IT! ;-)

**Ever After You**  
_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Fifteen

* * *

**

As the two women walked in silence, Rory couldn't help but feel self conscious. While she knew she wasn't exactly last week's meat loaf, she felt positively homely next to the stunning Amazon incarnate walking alongside her. She was tall and thin, with curves in all the right places and had brilliant red hair and piercing green eyes. She was adorned with a small tattoo on her wrist and donned a pair of leather pants that, on anyone else would have looked whorish but on Lola looked natural and fitting. She carried herself with the confidence of a woman who knew exactly what she wanted and just how to get it.

Both mentally and physically, Rory squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, refusing to be intimidated. Lola had no idea just how much fight a Gilmore had in them. Just as Rory was about to speak first and gain the upper hand, Lola broke anxious the silence.

"So, why are you here, Rory?"

_Damn._ She silently berated herself for not taking control of the conversation. Her mind churned, searching desperately for the right words. She started to speak several times, though stopped herself short before the words could spill out. Finally she sighed and said simply, "I screwed up."

Whatever Lola had been expecting of Rory, it certainly wasn't such candor. She'd been expecting perhaps a sob story or tears or, hell, even long-winded excuses, but definitely not such honesty. As such, it caught her completely by surprise. With a turn of her head, Lola lowered her gaze and appraised the brunette – immediately finding what Jess had seen in her.

Rory was definitely pretty. Not a Beauty Queen type pretty, but attractive none the less. But what really made her stand out was the strength and intelligence that lay behind her deep blue eyes. With just one look, one could see her honesty and verve as plain as day. "I really screwed up." Rory said again with a determined tone. "And I need to fix things."

"Well, he hasn't really wanted to wax philosophical on the subject. In fact, it wasn't until he'd put down quite a bit of whisky before I could pry anything out of him. But from what I could gather, it seems you did a big thing badly and you did quite a number on him." Lola challenged, playing the role of protector to perfection.

Rory's stomach flipped as she was forced to face the memory of that night, both wonderful and heart wrenching, head-on. As long as she lived, she'd never forget the look on his face as he realized she was leaving (or shamefully attempting to sneak out, as it were). He'd reasoned, bargained and even begged her to stay but until that very moment, she hadn't realized what it must have taken a man like Jess, who'd been stonewalling people his entire life, to open himself up to that kind of naked vulnerability. "I did the biggest thing worse than I could have ever imagined I was capable." Rory conceded. "I let a moment of absolute terror take a hold of me and turn me into someone weak and childish."

"Terror?" Lola prodded, determined figure out what had caused Jess' personal Siren to crash him into the shores again.

"I just had this overwhelming fear that I was going to hurt him again, even worse than before. I figured I needed to get out before we got in too deep."

"So you hurt him so you wouldn't hurt him again?" Lola asked incredulously, eyebrows raised. "Or maybe, just maybe, was it that you didn't want him to hurt _you_ again?" Rory jerked her eyes up to meet Lola's gaze, searching for any clue as to how much she knew of Jess and Rory's long and entangled history. Finding an all-knowing look, it took Rory everything in her not to look petrified.

"Oh I know everything, Rory," she confirmed. "Before Jess and I were together, we were friends. I was his confidant after your last visit to Truncheon. You left him a complete mess then too, just so you know. All he did was drink, for months, and when he drank, he usually got drunk. When he got drunk, he got chatty. When he got chatty, he talked about you – a lot. He told me about the times he'd run away from you when he was younger and how he was never as good to you as he wanted to be despite his efforts. But he also told me how he never felt like he was enough for you and that, on more than one occasion, you chose – and I quote – 'Lurch' and the' Blonde Dick at Yale.'"

"Wow," Rory exhaled in awe. "I've never heard our history laid out so succinctly."

"It's a gift." Lola shrugged.

"So are you here to tell me to get the hell away from Jess? That he is yours now? We'll it's not going to work. Because I'm tired of being afraid of the way I feel about Jess. Yes, he scares me sometimes, but in the most exquisite way possible. I won't be able to live with myself if I let him walk away this time and not at least try – even if it _was_ my fault. I'm not going to lose him to you and I'm not afraid to fight for him. Because I should warn you, I'm scrappier than I look," Rory squared her shoulders and put on her best fight face.

Lola was thoroughly enamored by the firecracker standing beside her. With an amused smile, the towering red head turned to the shorter woman – who'd raised her fists in defiance – and confessed, "You know, I really wanted to hate you."

Caught off-guard, Rory lowered her slender weapons and had no choice to admit the same. "I really wanted to hate you too," she sighed in relief. "So, you aren't trying to get him back?"

Lola almost laughed out loud at the very idea of her and Jess getting back together but figured it might seem rude and just a little condescending. "No, Rory. We are definitely _not_ getting back together. That ship sailed a long time ago. In fact, I'd say that ship barely even left the harbor."

Rory's inner sleuth roared to life, question after question burning her brain. "But Jess said you guys lived together, were a couple on and off for almost two years!"

"Well, when you take out all the superfluous details, he was right. For instance, we did live together at the end there, but only because the lease on my apartment ran out and I had nowhere else to go at the time. We _were _on and off for two years but more off than on. We cared for each other, but it was never passionate or all-consuming. It was more like we were best friends. To be perfectly honest, he never really felt like he was mine. I always felt like a placeholder, like he was waiting for something better to come along. He didn't do it on purpose. I know he tried. But you just can't fake the fire."

Rory nodded her head silently, knowing all too well just what Lola was talking about – having experienced it herself a few times over. The taller woman continued, becoming lost in her narrative.

"What signified the end for me was the day I saw just what kind of fire he had inside… for you. He was in the office writing and I was nosing around his bookshelf, looking for something to read. I noticed a well-worn copy of _The Fountainhead_ and found it odd, knowing that Ayn Rand was not his cup of tea. As I lifted the book from the shelf, I noticed something slipped between the pages. When I opened the book, I saw that it was a photo of a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl who couldn't have been more than eighteen. The photo had no date or inscription, but as I picked it up, I noticed it had been covering an underlined passage. I still remember that passage to this day. It read: _'__Those who speak of love most promiscuously are the ones who've never felt it. They make some sort of feeble stew out of sympathy, compassion, contempt and general indifference, and they call it love. Once you've felt what it means to love as you and I know it – the total passion for the total height – you're incapable of anything less.'_

"I was so enraptured by the significance of the quote and the photo that I hadn't heard him walking up behind me. Without a word, he snatched the book and the photo from my hands. His eyes were as wild as I'd ever seen them and his knuckles were white from clutching the paperback so tightly. I somehow knew the photo was of you, but I asked anyway, just to see his reaction. At the mere sound of your name, his entire aura changed. I don't know how else to explain it. He looked like only a man who'd loved so completely and lost it all could look. He never said a word. He just made an about face and returned to his office with the slamming of a door, taking the book and photo with him."

Rory felt suddenly very small listening to Lola's soliloquy. She had never really understood the depths of Jess' feelings for her, that they rivaled those she felt for him. "I've been hurting him for so long. Why are you helping me?"

With a sad smile, Lola turned her emerald eyes to meet Rory's sapphire gaze. "Because despite that fact that you are the only person who has the power to destroy him so completely; you are also the only person who can make him sublimely, blissfully and incandescently happy. But here's the thing. He's a writer. He can live with that pain for longer than you or I could even fathom – it's what they do – and he may have shut himself down for the last time. You can go in there and fight for him but I can't promise you that it will work. He has the ability to be masochistic at times, _obviously_." Lola inflected the word with a stern look at Rory and continued. "But he's not self destructive."

Rory processed the information with sadness and a dash of hope. "I know that I may have screwed things up beyond repair this time. But I love him. I'm _in_ love with him. And that means I won't go down without a fight."

* * *

Lola had left Rory at a nearby coffee shop, making her promise she would show up only after Jess had already begun his reading – the fear being that if he saw Rory before then, he'd refuse to go on or, even worse, hightail it out of Philly. Those few hours of waiting had been the longest of Rory's life. While normally an afternoon of coffee and a good book (of which she had packed three in her overnight bag) would have kept her happily occupied for at least half a day, she couldn't help but reflect on the conversation she'd had with Lola, the revelations she'd made about Jess and, just as importantly, the realization of the depth of her feelings for Jess. She'd been ready to engage in fisticuffs with a tattooed, leather pants wearing Amazonian. Thankfully, it hadn't had to come to that but it certainly had been a surprise, even to her.

When the sky was almost full dark, and her watch read half past 7, she gathered her belongings and made her way towards Truncheon. Every step closer made her heart beat faster until, when she reached the door, she was sure her heart might explode at any given second. With a deep breath, Rory pushopen the door, again thankful for the lack of a welcome bell, and slipped quietly inside the publishing house. There was large crowd gathered in the small venue, much larger than she'd been anticipating, and they sat comfortably in the makeshift seating area, listening attentively to the main event – a certain dark haired author with an intelligent but intense brow.

She watched silently as he captured the audience with the power of his words. She'd missed most of the passage but she was so enraptured by the sight of him she barely noticed when he finished speaking – until he looked up and directly into her eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **This story is solely for entertainment purposes. Mostly my own. I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl", "The Fountainhead" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. Hell, I don't even own a real leather jacket.

**A/N: **Holy moly. My last update was three years ago… but hey, I came back, didn't I? This story has been pestering me to finish it since the last chapter I posted all those years ago. I guess I just wasn't ready until now. So sit back and enjoy. Or don't. Up to you. But hey, here's a story you thought was dead in the water, and it has come back (What the WHAT?)

**Ever After You**  
_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

Rory felt trapped. Every instinct she possessed was telling her to about-face and make a run for it. The weight of Jess' gaze and the intensity of his eyes were almost too much to bear. With every ounce of strength in her being, she managed to inch away from the door and slide quietly through the back of the room. Jess' stony stare hadn't released her yet and followed every step until she reached a vacant chair in the rear of the crowd. How long had he been watching her? Minutes? Hours? Days? A quick glance to the wall clock told her it had, somehow, impossibly, been mere seconds.

She flicked her eyes back to the grumpy author and breathed a sigh of relief; he'd turned his attention elsewhere, with a scowl that landed on the familiar group of Chris, Matt and Lola. The boys averted their eyes sheepishly while Lola returned the look with a raised brow and a just-try-me smirk. With one last narrowing of his eyes, Jess returned his full attention to the passages he held in his hands.

Biding her time in the back of the store, Rory was afraid that her heart might actually beat right out of her chest. She did a quick survey of the attendees sitting directly beside her, as she was certain they could hear her heartbeat – after all, it was drowning out Jess' voice in her own ears. After a moment of study, Rory figured she was in the clear, at least in the cardiac sense, and settled in for the rest of the reading.

As she willed her heartbeat down to a normal rate and volume, Rory started listening to the words dripping from Jess' lips. She was mesmerized by the magical quality of his voice, the way he could turn ordinary words into delectable morsels of prose. Jess had never been one to speak at length. When present at all, his lexicon had generally been relegated a smartass quip or an explosion of anger… or sometimes just a grunt. To hear words spill from his mouth with such abandon and passion made Rory lose her breath.

His book, a memoir with a simple cover, was filled with anecdotes from that life that was Jess Mariano. Biting, straight-forward, intelligent and unapologetic – all wrapped up in deliciously dark humor. She smiled when she realized that he was regaling the intimate crowd with the time Luke had stolen Jess' car to keep him from cutting class to work the morning shift at Walmart. Despite her nerves, she couldn't help but chuckle along with the crowd as Jess' carefully-crafted story depicted the dysfunctional, yet loving relationship he endured with "Uncle Luke."

All-too-soon, Jess was wrapping up his presentation with what – to a trained eye – appeared to be relief. Those in attendance milled around to meet the author, get a book signed and explore the little publishing house. Rory took part in the latter, making sure she was as far away from Jess and his steadily-growing entourage as possible. She was in the process of talking herself out of leaving for the fifth time in so many minutes before Lola appeared by her side.

"He might be a little while," the redhead said with a shrug. "I want to show you something while you wait."

With that, she grabbed Rory's hand and all but dragged her to the upstairs apartment. Guiding her over to a large bookshelf, Lola ran her fingers quickly over the spines until she paused over a worn, white paperback. As Lola pulled the book from its confines, Rory recognized the cover immediately. It was "The Fountainhead." She took the novel from Lola's outstretched hand and opened the cover. There, in the perfect, delicate handwriting of a teenaged Chilton student was the inscription: Property of Rory Gilmore.

Loaned to Jess what felt like a thousand years ago, this was her book in all its worn glory. She flipped through the yellowed pages and landed on the pen-inked passage Lola had spoken of – the one that told of love, real, all-consuming, heart-breaking, life-altering love.

"I just thought you might want this back," said Lola with a small smile.

"Thank you," replied Rory, holding the book tightly against her chest like a shield, its underlined contents giving her strength.

Lola nodded in response and turned to go back down into the shop, but before she descended the stairs, she turned back to Rory.

"Just be honest, Rory. You both deserve it."

And with that, Lola left Rory standing in the middle of the perfunctory living room, clutching a relic from her past to her rapidly-beating chest.

* * *

Before long, Rory heard hushed, yet agitated voices at the bottom of the staircase – one male, one female. She had a good idea who they belonged to. After some bickering, the female voice got the last word and a pair of footsteps thudded heavily against the stairs, as if their owner had been pushed. After another short round of bickering, the footsteps resumed their ascension.

Rory wrapped her arms around herself, pulling Jess' the leather jacket, which she had yet to remove, tighter as he appeared at the top of the steps.

After a moment of silence, Jess finally spoke.

"What are you doing here?" he asked tightly, though as his eyes dropped to the jacket and book in her hands, his gaze softened a little.

"I-I just wanted to talk." Rory replied, forcing herself to maintain eye contact.

"Talk about what?"Jess feigned ignorance.

Rory stared at him, trying to regain her resolve. She wasn't going to let him dictate where this conversation was headed. But before she could get out the words, Jess spoke again, angry, accusatory.

"About how you ran out on me in the middle of the night? Or maybe how you shut me out and wouldn't listen to reason?"

"Jess, please. I just need to say a few things."

Rory waited for the inevitable pushback but was met with a sigh, a curt nod and a crossing of arms. She took a breath to compose herself and began to speak.

"What I did to you was wrong. I know this. It was childish and selfish and uncalled for. I should never have left like that. I just got scared. After everything we have been through, I felt like we would just end up hurting each other again. And in the process of me trying to minimize the pain, I made it a million times worse. But I want to make this work. You're one of the only people in the world who truly understands me."

As she paused to take a breath, Jess attempted to speak again, but Rory pushed on.

"I know we aren't without our baggage, and sometimes we drive each other crazy but there is no one else I want to be with. We've both made our mistakes but I've finally come to realize that you are it for me. I don't want anyone else and I can't just let us go."

Jess stared at the ground, taking in Rory's soliloquy. When he looked up, she could see a hardness in his eyes.

"It's not your decision this time whether to let us go or not," he began. "You made that decision the night you walked out. And I just can't do this anymore, Rory. The push and pull. The on and off. We've never been able to get this right. Why would this time be any different?"

"Because it _is_ different," Rory said with pleading eyes. "I love you Jess. I think I always have. I can't give that up. I've loved you for 'The total passion. For the total height.'" Rory said quoting the book the she gripped tightly in her hand, knowing he would understand why she was referencing it.

Jess scoffed, looking at the novel with disdain. "Lola told you about that, didn't she? Well don't read too much into it. Because you want to know what else that political but says in that damn book? She says 'You have been the one encounter in my life that can never be repeated.' Maybe you should take a longer look at _that_ one.""

"You don't mean that," Rory replied softly. "You're just angry. And justifiably so."

"Oh, you're giving me permission to be angry now?"

"No, that's not what I mean. I just-"

"You know what? I'm tired of this game. I don't want to be the guy you bounce back to when life gets a little tough and confusing. It's not fair to me. You can't just decide to come back into my life when you are ready. Do you have any idea how much it hurts to be backburnered and _used_ by you? Because that's what you've done to me again and again. I'm done. I'm done with this."

Rory watched as Jess' anger gave way to sadness. The tension in his body released and his shoulders slumped, his head down. "I just can't do it, Ror. Hurts too much. I can't put myself through that again. I backed away when you asked me to, that night you came to Truncheon, and I barely recovered from that. I went against my better judgment and started something with you when we were back in Stars Hollow, and look how that turned out. I just don't have another round in me. Maybe loving someone just isn't enough."

"I think that is bullshit," Rory countered, tears threatening her resolve. "I think we've had terrible timing since we were teenagers, but we are ready now. There's nothing standing in our way but US. We can do this Jess. Please don't give up."

"It's done, Rory. It has to be."

Rory recognized this Jess. It was as if she was looking at the 17-year-old version of the boy he'd just been talking to the crowd about. Stubborn. Infuriating. Masking his pain with anger The conversation was over.

As she wrapped her head around the finality of his words, Rory wordlessly shrugged out of Jess' jacket. She closed the distance between them and extended the soft black leather to him, rubbing her thumbs over the fastenings as a goodbye gesture to the last piece of Jess she'd ever hold. Before he could take it, she surprised both of them by leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his lips. She knew it would be the last time so she tried to take in every detail, from the spicy smell of his aftershave to the unexpected tenderness of his lips. Placing the jacket in his hands, she turned heel and exited the apartment, descended the stairs and walked out of the publishing house.

As she reached her car she heard someone calling after her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she turned towards the sound, hoping beyond hope it was Jess. When she opened her eyes, found Lola hustling towards her.

"Rory…?" Lola questioned, searching for any kind of answer.

Rory just shook her head in response.

"You did the right thing, you know. Telling him how you felt."

"It doesn't matter anymore. It's over."

"I know I don't know you that well, but I'm really proud of you for speaking from your heart. For being truthful and brave. Most people don't have that kind of courage. But you put it all out there, for better or worse. It's a beautiful thing."

"You're probably right, but it sure doesn't feel that way right now."

"I know, but it will." Lola took Rory's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze before letting it drop back to Rory's side. "I'm really glad I met you, Rory Gilmore." With that, Lola turned and walked away.

Rory slid into the driver's seat and started the engine, beginning the long, lonely drive back to Stars Hollow. It was past midnight when she finally pulled into her mother's driveway. She was numb as she exited the car and trudged up the front steps and through the front door.

"Hey kid, is that you?" Lorelai called from the couch, combating her insomnia with a midnight showing of _An Affair to Remember_. As Rory rounded the corner, her mother's grin fell. "Kid? What's the matter?" she asked softly, with growing concern.

"Mom… I-," was all Rory could summon before the tears that had denied her on her journey back to Stars Hollow finally ran freely. With the TV casting the living room in dreamy, Cinemascope color, she curled up in her mother's arms and sobbed quietly while Cary Grant's Nickie Ferrante stood on the observation deck of the Empire State Building, waiting for Deborah Kerr's Terry McKay, who would never show.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **This story is solely for entertainment purposes. Mostly my own. I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl", "The Fountainhead" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. Hell, I don't even own a real leather jacket.

**Ever After You**

_by FuriousRose920_

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

It had been weeks since the night Rory had spent weeping in her mother's arms. For the first time in a long while, Lorelai had been completely silent, allowing her daughter to cry out all her tears and finally be completely candid about all things related to Jess Mariano. The pair had cried and laughed, sometimes concurrently, about Rory's long and complicated history with the man who'd just broken her heart. Lorelai listened while Rory spoke of anything and everything, the good, the bad and the ugly, until daylight finally broke and Luke stumbled groggily down the stairs.

When he saw his two favorite women, eyes red and puffy, cheeks ruddy from crying, he'd wordlessly walked to the kitchen, started a pot of coffee and returned with two Gilmore-sized mugs of dark roast. The girls parted slightly, creating a hole for Luke to squeeze into on the couch. As his sat, his Gilmore girls curled up with him, sipping on their piping hot beverages. In no time at all, the coffee mugs sat empty on the coffee table, Lorelai and Rory lulled to sleep by the warmth of their favorite beverage and the calm, quiet presence of Luke between them.

In the weeks that passed, Rory had thrown herself into her work, freelancing for every print and online publication she could find, building her writing portfolio while also leaving no time to think about _him_. When she wasn't writing, she was helping out her mother at the Dragonfly or picking up shifts at Luke's in exchange for her free room and board. Life had taken on a comfortable monotony. Research. Work. Write. Repeat. And while this situation wasn't in her future plans, it served its purpose for the time being while also keeping her mind (mostly) free of certain distractions.

It was still tough not to think about Jess. It seemed like every nook and cranny of Stars Hollow held some Mariano memory, especially her favorite places like the bridge, the bookstore and Luke's. Sometimes she would get so lost in a memory she had to remind herself that it wasn't real and that Jess was not actually sitting on the edge of the bridge, tapping away on his laptop, scribbling furiously in his moleskin, or kissing her furiously... everywhere; no location was safe from that memory. In their formative years, they'd left no make-out location uncharted - no stone unturned on the journey for the perfect heavy-petting destination.

As the memories began to seep in, Rory let herself feel it all for only a few seconds before she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind, locking them away in a special Jess safe complete with a laser beam alarm system. _Hey, if you're going to lock something away, might as well do it right._ After she felt like she'd cleared her head, she finished preparing for that evening's shift at Luke's.

Sugar caddies needed to be restocked,salt and pepper shakers needed to be refilled and coffee was in need of a good brewing. Before long, the restaurant was full of customers. The town was hosting another festival. This one was a Taylor Doose special. A Mountain Dancing and Folk Festival. Rory had never seen so much clog dancing in her life. They were clogging on the streets, clogging on the sidewalks, clogging inside Luke's - which Luke did not particularly care for. When Luke had reached his maximum on clogging for the night, Rory had never heard a group of cloggers run away in fear before. It was loud, yet somehow rhythmical. She was impressed.

After hours of taking orders, running food and cashing out checks, the restaurant was finally closed. With a sigh of relief, Rory slumped into the nearest chair. The dining area was a wreck. She could only imagine how the kitchen looked. Taking a breath, she looked up at Luke, who was closing out the last ticket.

"Well, that was interesting," Rory joked with a smirk.

"Harumph," Luke mumbled. "Doose has gone too far this time. Clog dancers? _Clog dancers?_ With their loud tapping and flailing arms. I mean I'm trying to run a business here!" Luke's agitation grew with every syllable.

Before he could continue, Rory interrupted.

"Luke, I think Caesar and I can handle clean up. I'll take dining room and he'll take kitchen. Why don't you in the back and cash out the drawer, OK?"

"Yeah, OK fine, but if I see one more of those dancing maniacs I'm going to..." his voiced trailed off as he walked back through the kitchen.

Rory could only imagine what four letter words were spewing from his mouth at that very moment. With a chuckle, Rory rose from her seat to begin the process of cleaning the dining room. She walked over to the door, locking it and flipping the sign to closed. She then plugged in her MP3 player to the sound system, turing the sound loud and setting the player to shuffle.

She had this routine down to a fine art. Clear off tables; run dishes through the washer; restock glasses, flatware and silverware; break down the soda machine; clean the coffee maker; wipe down the tables and bar; and finish off with a thorough sweep.

Lost in her music, Rory was in the homestretch before she knew it, beginning the wipe-down process. Luke and Caesar had already completed their work and offered to help Rory finish but she shooed them off. She was perfectly capable of finishing up her duties.

As began to spray and wipe down the tables, a familiar band began blaring over the speakers. It was Grizzly Bear. Rory thought about changing the song for a moment, but finally decided to let it play. She liked the band. It wasn't their fault that their music held some tough memories for her. Shrugging her shoulders, and brushing the sting off, Rory bobbed her head to the beat and returned to cleaning.

Just as she did, she heard a soft knock in the door. _No. No more damn cloggers. Can't they find somewhere else to dance?_ Rory declined to look up, figuring that if she made eye contact, they would be much harder to deny. Instead, she yelled "Closed!" over the sound of her loud music. She paused for a moment to listen and heard nothing. Thankful that it worked, she went about her business.

_**KNOCK KNOCK. **_Much louder this time.

"Closed!" she yelled again, this time pointing to the sign.

All of a sudden, Rory got the strangest wave of deja vu. The Grizzly Bear, the after-hours knocking, being at Luke's. She looked up with a start towards the front door.

Standing on the other side of the glass was Jess.

Rory just started at him, mouth agape for what felt like an eternity. She didn't snap out of her shock until Jess yelled through the glass.

"Hey, can you let me in? There are a lot of strange people out here with weird shoes on. I'm afraid they are going to assimilate me into their cult and take me to their leader."

Slowly, she turned to her music player to turn down the sound, then proceeded to unlock the door. She stood back as Jess turned the handle and slid into the diner.

"What's up with the tap dancers?"

"They're cloggers. It's a clogging festival." Rory answered, confused by Jess' presence.

Jess processed the information with a shrug. "Well, I guess it's better than a flogging festival."

"Yeah..." she trailed off. Unsure of what else to say.

She'd imagined a litany of scenarios for this very moment, the moment when she would see Jess again. They'd ranged from tears, to kissing, to begging, and even, in one instance, and wicked bout of hand-to-hand combat. _A girl's got to be prepared_.

But right now, at this very moment, should couldn't think of one single word to say. Did she even need to say anything? Hadn't she said everything she'd needed to say already? So she did the only thing she could think of, and raised her brow in a very Jess-like manner. Silently asking this intruder just what the hell he was doing here.

A smile played at Jess' lips as he recognized the gesture immediately.

"I know I have no right to be here standing in front of you right now, but I'd really appreciate it if you'd just hear me out and listen to what I have to say."

Rory felt the air leave the room. Or was that because she'd stopped breathing?

"I need you to understand that when I shut you out at Truncheon, it wasn't because I don't have feelings for you. Because I do. And it wasn't because I didn't believe what you were saying. Because I did. And it wasn't because I thought you were some evil person for walking out on me. Because you are the best person I know. And it wasn't because I don't love you. Because I do." He paused, watching Rory's face process the information. When she stayed silent and made no move to throw him back out onto the street, he pressed on.

"When I shut you out, I thought that I was doing what was best for us. I thought we would be better if we weren't together. That things would be easier if we weren't in each other's lives... But I was wrong."

Rory breathed in sharply. Not knowing what to do or say.

"This jacket," he continued, holding up the leather she hadn't even noticed he'd been holding. "After you gave it back to me, this jacket smelled just like you. Like your hair, your perfume, your skin. And I hated it. It was like I couldn't get away from you. You were there in the air, lingering around me. Reminding me of every moment we'd ever shared. It drove me crazy.

"But then one day, it didn't smell like you anymore. It was gone. And so were you. And it was in that moment I realized I didn't want to go another day without you. Without so much as a trace of scent from your shampoo or lotion. Being devoid of you was maddening and I don't want to do it again. Not ever.

"And so what I'm saying here, in the longest-winded way possible, is that I want to do this, Gilmore, and do it for real. No more hiding. No more worrying. No more turning the past into our present. I love you. And I'm hoping you still love me. I want to be with you and I want to make you happy, for as long as you'll let me."

Jess stood silent, watching Rory with his heart fully on his sleeve. She'd never, in all her life, seen a man more vulnerable than the one standing before her right now. It made tears well up in her eyes as she realized that she was being offered something Jess had never given to anyone else - his heart and soul.

With every passing second, Rory could see the strain building in Jess' eyes. He was terrified at what she might say, but he stood there, ready to accept whatever decision she made.

With her face stoic, Rory closed the gap between them until they were almost close enough to touch. "Mariano," she said without inflection. "You had me at 'flogging festival.'"

After a moment of silence, Jess began to howl with laugher, the tension leaving his body in joyous waves. In one quick movement, Jess scooped Rory into his arms, giving her a twirl before crushing his lips to hers.

In that one kiss, the past was finally, truly, history. It erased all the pain, all the doubt and all the fear, and in it's place was the exhilarating promise of a brand-new start.

* * *

**A/N: **This could be the end... or there could be an epilogue! Who wants one?


	18. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **This story is solely for entertainment purposes. Mostly my own. I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of its characters, not even Jess Mariano (even though I wished for him for my birthday). I also lay no claim to Grizzly Bear, The Kinks, Allen Ginsberg's "Howl", "The Fountainhead" or any other cultural references: music, literary, or other. Hell, I don't even own a real leather jacket.

**A/N: **Welp, I finally finished! Thanks to everyone who read and commented on my story. I hope to start another one soon, but for now, I'm going to bask in the fact that, despite it taking three years, I finally finished this story! Thanks again everyone!

**Ever After You**  
_by FuriousRose920_

**Epilogue**

* * *

**One year later.**

It was the perfect summer night in Stars Hollow. The stifling heat of the day had given way to a warm, breezy evening as soon as the sun had set, leaving stars dotting the clear night sky. And it just so happened that on this perfectly perfect evening, the town of Stars Hollow was celebrating the perfectly perfect union of a pair of on-again-off-again-on-again-forever lovers.

The town square was lit with string lights that hung delicately from trees and buildings and even gazeboes. Townspeople were in the throws of celebration, drinking, eating and dancing to their hearts' content. After all, it wasn't often that the town was invited to partake in such a regal affair. A Gilmore Wedding was an event not to be missed.

It could be known by nothing else but a Gilmore Wedding, as no surname could live up to the royalty that was a Gilmore in Stars Hollow - no matter how well-liked the groom had eventually become, or at the very least, not openly disdained.

The bride was positively glowing from happiness, and even the normally-grumpy groom carried a genuine smile, which somehow became even bigger every time he looked at his wife. Every now and again, his eyes became thoughtful as he realized that he'd finally gotten it right this time.

"Luke, are you OK over there?" Rory asked the groom with a smile as she appeared by his side.

"Definitely. Just trying to figure out how I tricked your mom into marrying me after all these years."

"I'm guessing love potion," Lorelai piped up, from over Luke's shoulder. "I caught him watching reruns of Charmed the other day. I'm pretty sure he's been taking notes."

"Hey! I was _not _ watching Charmed! I _told_ you, I was flipping through the channels and I thought it was just a weird episode of CSI!"

"Sure hun. You are aware that CSI: Hogwarts isn't an actual thing, right?"

"Excuse us for a minute, Rory," Luke grumbled. "We have to go find the minister and get this whole thing annulled. I think I've made a huge mistake." Luke pulled Lorelai away in mock seriousness, though he was unable to keep the smile from creeping back onto his face.

"Does this mean I can keep the wedding gift I bought for you?" Rory yelled after them.

"Sure thing, hun! Go nuts!" Lorelai called back at her before Luke took her out of Gilmore vocal range.

"Score! A new toaster!" Rory congratulated herself as she walked back over to her table, smoothing the strapless, cotton Maid of Honor dress.

"What's this I hear about a new toaster?" Jess asked, pulling her onto his lap as she arrived at her destination.

"Oh, Luke and mom are getting their marriage annulled as we speak and they told me I could keep the wedding gift I bought."

"Nice. You think that means I can keep the coffee machine I got 'em?"

"I'd say you're in the clear." Rory smiled as she leaned her head against Jess. He responded with a light kiss on her bare shoulder.

It had been almost a year to the day since they had finally decided to be together - for real this time. No holds barred. Giving it everything they had. A year of mostly bliss, and the occasional fight (that tended to always end in another form of bliss) - had found them in the city of Boston, with Rory working as a full-time staff writer at the Boston Globe, and Jess continuing his burgeoning writing career.

While Jess had fought the move at first - after all, he was a New Yorker at heart - he finally gave in and started to enjoy all the city had to offer. Besides, Poe and Plath were from Boston, and seeing as they were two of his favorites, Jess had to appreciate the pedigree. He put his foot down on becoming a Red Sox fan though. There are some lines a person just could not cross.

Jess intertwined his fingers with Rory's and brought her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss onto her soft skin.

"Are you guys gonna do that all night? Because I just ate and would really like to keep my dinner in my stomach where it belongs."

Rory and Jess looked up across the table at Tristan, who was feigning nausea at the couple's PDA.

"Oh please. I saw you do worse than that when we were in _high school_!" Rory laughed at Tristan's exaggeration. The tall blonde winked at Rory before turning his attention to Jess.

Tristan had become a close friend to Rory ever since he'd talked her though that awful night, what seemed like a lifetime ago. They'd spoken regularly and he had even become friendly with Jess. The two men had a surprising amount in common, the most important of which being that they both had a love of literature. The pair spoke at length about pros of Hemmingway and Kerouac and the cons of Austen and Dickinson.

Turing her attention to the boys, she chuckled when she realized Tristan was looking for the inside scoop on Lola. He'd turned his attention to the leggy redhead - who was currently at the bar ordering a round of the table - since they'd all been seated at the same table earlier in the night. He had repeatedly attempted to work his magic, but whatever Tristan was selling, Lola wasn't buying, at least she didn't appear to be. Although, Rory had an inkling that Lola wasn't as opposed to the match as she let on.

She smiled as Jess tried to warn Tristan that he was biting off more than he could chew with the ginger-haired amazon, but Tristan would have none of it. If he was up for anything, it was the challenge of an unattainable woman. Thanking Jess for the input, Tristan excused himself and walked towards the bar, undoubtedly planning to lay on the charm, put on his chivalrous-best and offer to carry the drinks Lola was waiting on.

As he walked towards the bar, he threw one last look over his shoulder at Jess and Rory and mimed a cross sign, letting out a final prayer before heading into the belly of the beast.

Rory watched Tristan walk away, hoping the best for her two friends who had been so instrumental in Jess and Rory finding their way back to one another. Without them, she had no idea where she would be right now. She almost certainly wouldn't be sitting in the lap of the love of her life.

Moving her eyes away from Tristan's retreating form, she let her gaze drift slowly across the courtyard, pausing to take in the sights of various various friends and family. Sookie and Jackson. Lane and Zach. Richard and Emily. Luke and Lorelai.

Everyone was so alive with laughter and love and Rory had never felt more blessed in her life. Even more so, she had never felt so present. She'd spent so much time worrying about what the future would hold. Overthinking every decision she'd ever made. But right now, at this very moment, there was no past full of hurt, no future full of doubt.

No, there was just the here and now, and if the here and now consisted of a moment filled with so much love, so much contentment, so much Jess, then she never wanted to live any other way.

-fin-


End file.
